The Chemicals Between Us
by VioletWylde
Summary: Its the 1st day of his Junior year and already Naruto is having issues with his chem partner. Naruto decides to forge ahead and attempt to befriend the raven-haired boy. Will he succeed or will he get more than he bargained for? M for language and lemons
1. Last Night of Summer

It is only the first day of his Junior year of college and already Naruto is having issues with his chemistry partner. Undaunted, Naruto decides to forge ahead and attempt to befriend the raven-haired boy. Will he succeed or will he get more than he bargained for?

**A/N: I am back with my second story and first college fic. I still have no beta, but rest assured I have re-read this story approximately one hojillion times, so there should be few errors. This is another NaruSasu but there are mentions of a few other pairings. Reviews are appreciated and constructive criticism helps me to become a better writer. The story is more or less complete and I will be posting new chapters every few days but I will be happy to do some last minute editing if I am given some good suggestions.**

**Warning: This story contains lemons, limes and other citrusy goodness. If you do not want to read about super steamy boyxboy love than please turn away now.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Sasuke does not own Ludo's "The Horror of Our Love". **

* * *

Naruto lightly bobbed his head to the beat of the music as he gazed out to the dance floor. He sat on a stool, leaning back on the bar, cobalt blue eyes roaming across the room. There was a nice assortment of people out tonight, though there usually was at this particular establishment.

There was a group of girls, dancing in a tight little circle – protecting each other from any unwelcome suitors. A good number of guys that just stood, swaying slightly while oversexed coeds ground their asses into them. A few girls danced sensually with each other, whether it was a ploy to get attention or a sincere display of their sexuality was impossible to determine. Finally there were a few male couples sprinkled into the heated mix. Despite the varied coupling, the mass of people moved in harmony – nobody really seemed to mind.

That was what Naruto really liked about this club; it was laid back, entertaining and it wasn't afraid of a little guy-on-guy action. The blond smiled inwardly; if he didn't know better, he would've thought he was describing himself. He turned around on the stool and motioned for another beer.

An obnoxious giggle caused the blond to grimace, closing one eye. He looked down the bar at the girl that was threatening to ruin his buzz. The little blonde and her entourage of clones were demanding another shot from the bartender. Naruto rolled his eyes, those girls were about 2 shots from being dared to make out and about 4 shots from train puking in the bathroom.

His gaze traveled further down the bar and settled on the frat boy on the opposite end. _Hey there Mr. Sigma Chi_, Naruto thought as he eyed the brunet. Mr. Sigma Chi must have felt the stare and turned to look at the blond. Naruto raised his eyebrows suggestively and offered a nod and a smile. The brunet scrunched his nose in disgust and quickly turned away. Naruto chuckled to himself. He loved to fuck with frat boys, something about their latent homoerotic behavior juxtaposed with their overt homophobia amused him greatly. The blond had crashed many a frat party only to end up getting punched in the face, but he always bounced right back. It was like a sport – a perverted and masochistic sport.

Naruto decided to let this one go, he didn't feel like showing up to the first day of class with a shiner. He sighed, the first day of his junior year was about 36 hours away. Luckily he had given himself a lighter class load then the last few semesters, but his worst day was Monday – he had 2 classes and a lab – why had he made Monday his busiest day?

He paused his ruminations when the music stopped. The generic club beat was about to be replaced by a band. Naruto took another swig of his beer when a voice came over the speakers.

"_**I'm a killer, cold and wrathful. Silent sleeper.  
I've been inside your bedroom, I've murdered half the town, left you love notes on their headstones.  
I'll fill the graveyards until I have you."**  
_

The dark voice was velvet smooth as it penetrated Naruto's ears. It sent a shiver down his spine and goosebumps erupted on his forearms.

_"**Moonlight walking, I smell your softness.  
Carnivorous and lusting, to track you down among the pines.**_

_**I want you stuffed into my mouth, hold you down and tear you open, live inside you, oh, love I'd never hurt you. But I'll grind against your bones until our marrows mix, I will eat you slowly."**_

Naruto swiveled on his seat, his breath caught in his throat at the sight before him, it was a strange beauty that complimented the haunting melody. Standing on the stage, clutching the microphone, was what could only be described as an emo god. A pale frame, clad in black leather pants, a sleeveless black fishnet shirt and black and gray striped arm bands. The boy's raven black bangs framed his face in the front, while the shorter back stuck out in random spikes. As if these features were not enough, his eyes blazed a deep scarlet red.

_**"Ohhhhh, the horror of our love, never so much blood pulled through my veins.  
Ohhhhh, the horror of our love, never so much blood."**_

"Oi, Ben!" the bartender turned to the blond, "who is that?"

"Band's name is Taka," Ben the Bartender replied.

"Okay, but who is the guy?" Naruto asked excitedly.

"Sorry kid, I don't give out names to fangirls or fanboys."

Naruto scoffed, unsure what offended him more, being called a "kid" or a "fanboy". Ben the Bartender chuckled at the look the blond was giving him. Naruto turned back around and watched as the lithe emo god moved across the stage. The man was lean but not scrawny like so many of the emo kids on campus, his defined ab muscles flexed as he belted into the mic. While his body was enticing, it was those red eyes that Naruto found intoxicating, it was hard to look away.

Finally he let his gaze leave the singer to examine the other members of the band. It was a four member ensemble including the stunning vocalist, a guitarist, bassist and drummer. The bassist was a big guy, tall and well built with spiky orange hair. On guitar was a lean man, shorter the other two, with chin length platinum colored hair. The drummer was the only girl in the group, she sported dark rimmed glasses and an asymmetric red hair style. All together it was a very attractive group, but Naruto could not help it when his eyes moved back to the singer – there was something about the man he could not resist.

A few beers later and the band had finished their set. Naruto scarcely moved his attention from the singer, staring and biting his lip lecherously. As the members began to leave the stage Naruto found himself getting off his stool. He had intended to saunter over to the group and offer his compliments, but upon standing he realized his urgent need to take a piss.

_Fucking beer_. Naruto ran his hands quickly under the water and brought them to his face, patting his cheeks in an attempt to freshen up a bit. He wiped the remaining dampness off on his jeans and straightened his snug T-shirt, nodding to himself in the mirror as he exited the bathroom.

Naruto's mood came crashing down when he saw the band had vanished. He wondered around the club, peering around corners and behind doors but found no trace that the group had ever been there. Grumbling to himself, Naruto shoved his hands in his pockets and made his way out of the bar. It was only a few blocks to his house and the fresh air helped him to clear his head.

* * *

**A/N: Ben the Bartender is the only named character that is not actually from the manga, but I love alliteration and this name made me smile. This was a shorter chapter and there will be significantly more development in the next so stay tuned!**


	2. The First Day of School Always Sucks

**A/N: Alright, now to get this bad boy underway. Here we introduce some supporting characters and learn a little more about Naruto.**

**Warnings: this story contains tons of yaoi goodness, but not necessarily this chapter. Be patient my lovelies - it will happen soon enough**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, I know - it is sad, but it is the unfortunate truth.**

* * *

"Why did I do this to myself?" Naruto wondered aloud as he stumbled into his 8:00 am Organic Chemistry class.

"Or better yet, why would they offer an advanced chemistry class this early in the morning?" Naruto heard a voice behind him chime in on his musings.

The blond turned to see his husky classmate follow him through the doorway, "Hey Choji," the blond greeted through a yawn, "haven't seen you since calculus, how've you been?"

Choji shrugged, "alright, nothing new really."

They took their seats about half way from the front of the room, next to the wall. Naruto preferred this position in most his classrooms; it allowed him to be close enough to feign interest in the teacher while giving him a decent view of the rest of the class. This was a mid level chemistry course and only enrolled about 50 students, many of whom Naruto had seen in at least one of the prerequisite courses.

Naruto struggled to maintain consciousness as the silver-haired professor introduced the class material. His buddy Kiba had taken this class last semester and warned Naruto about the instructor. Professor Kakashi Hatake was a bit "eccentric", as Kiba had put it, and Naruto didn't want to get on his bad side. The man seemed nice enough, wearing a cheerful expression, but the way he hid his face behind a turtleneck was a little disconcerting. His concerns were suddenly justified as the instructor, mid sentence, slammed a yard stick down next to a dozing student. The poor kid flew up in his chair, slamming a knee into the desk before falling backwards. Kakashi didn't even bat an eyelash as he continued his lecture. Naruto's heart thumped wildly in his chest, all thoughts of sleeping now erased from his mind.

The class began to wind down and students started to pack up their things, "for those of you continuing on to this morning's lab section, it will be upstairs, room 245, in 15 minutes," the professor announced as he gathered up his papers.

Naruto groaned and gently laid his head on the desk. He turned to the side and eyed the handiwork of the students that _"wuz"_ here before him. Again he wondered what had compelled him to take an early morning chemistry class followed directly by a lab. The blond managed to pull his head up, the inertia of the action causing it to fall backwards once he was fully sitting up again. His eyes rolled back and he stared sideways out the door. Choji laughed at the pathetic display and made his way down the aisle, motioning for Naruto to follow.

* * *

A small group of students, a little over a dozen, milled around the lab. Naruto took a seat at the station with the best view and watched as an early autumn breeze rustled the yellowing leaves of the tree just outside the window. The class fell silent as the TA entered the room and shut the door. Naruto got the feeling that Iruka was not really that happy with the idea of teaching a lab, he performed his duties downstairs with little enthusiasm and that translated into unconcealed disdain as he organized his materials for the lab.

"This is the lab section for chem 234," the man said without looking up, "if you are in here it means you have taken at least two chemistry classes before so I expect you should know how a lab works by now. Just in case you have forgotten I will go over the basics," he finally looked up to the class, "your shit goes back there," he pointed to the shelves and hooks at the back of the room, "and all food goes either there," he pointed to the door, "or there," he motioned to the trash can, "you will be working with a partner throughout the semester. If you have a problem with your partner let _them_ know, if you continue to have a problem you _can_ tell me, but it may result in both students receiving low marks."

The class seemed to share an uncomfortable glance as they listened to the TA. The man looked easy going enough; pleasant features strangely enhanced by the mark that crossed over the bridge of his nose, his hair pulled back into a short ponytail – maybe his bark was worse than his bite.

"Alright," he clapped his hands, "line up at the back. When I call your name come forward, get your syllabus and meet your new best friend."

The students moved in unison to the back of the room and waited patiently for their names to be called. Naruto stood, slightly amused with the TA's mannerisms – he knew that, if nothing else, this class would likely be entertaining. His mood faltered a bit when he realized the partners were being picked alphabetically, as always he would be among the last students to get his assignment. Usually he ended up with a Thompson or a Williams. He glanced around the dwindling group of students and pursed his lips at the sight of a familiar blond ponytail on the other side of the room. He'd had the misfortune of being paired up with Yamanaka in a biology class last year. Ino was a smart girl, and nice enough, but she was completely self-centered and it was a challenge to get her to focus.

Three other students stood against the far wall, waiting for their fate to be sealed, "Uchiha Sasuke," a dark-haired boy moved forward. The tanned boy breathed a sigh of relief, "Uzumaki Naruto." He pushed off the wall and walked to the front of the room. Collecting his packet, he gave a nod to his new partner – it was not reciprocated.

The two boys took their seats at one of the few remaining stations. Naruto eyed the pale boy; black hair, longer in the front than the back, framed his face and obsidian eyes scrutinized the syllabus. His features were sharp and flawless. He must have felt the gaze on him, Naruto blinked and looked away quickly when the boy arched an eyebrow and turned his eyes to the blond.

Iruka was moving from station to station passing out index cards, "fill these out with your name and contact information as well as anything else you think may be pertinent," he handed a card to the blond, "for example, if you have a sensitive sense of smell and require sitting next to an open window in addition to having the fume hood on – please let me know so I can seat you properly before you pass out in my lab."

Naruto snorted, he'd forgotten Kiba had told him that happened. Iruka shot the blond a glare, "sorry," he mumbled and turned his attention to the index card.

The TA made another round and picked up the cards, "Alright," Iruka said as he made his way back to the front of the class, "I am going to make copies of these, you may use this time to get to know one another. When I get back we will run through the basics, I want to make sure you all know how to _not_ blow this place up."

Iruka exited the room, which after about a millisecond burst to life with the sound of students introducing themselves, laughing and complaining. Naruto decided to try to engage his partner in conversation, "I'm Uzumaki Naruto," he said above the cacophony, leaning back against the table.

The pale boy sat back, clearly irritated. He looked Naruto up and down contemplatively, "Uzumaki?" he questioned, obviously confused by the disparity between Naruto's name and his clearly European features.

This wasn't the first time somebody had been perturbed when they discovered that the tan boy with bright yellow hair and deep blue eyes had a Japanese name, "Uh, yeah, I'm adopted," the response he was very used to saying by now, "how about you _Uchiha_, were you born in the states?"

The pale boy's expression turned from indifferent to annoyed, "I moved when I was eight."

Naruto considered a follow up question, but decided that would likely be too painful for his partner to endure. Instead he decided to speculate about the pale boy. He appeared very conservative at first, sporting a white button up shirt and black slacks – likely a throwback to a private high school. However, the shirt was untucked, the top couple buttons had been left undone and the sleeves were rolled up to the elbows. The feature that really had Naruto confused were the boy's shoes. By the time his eyes had gotten to the Uchiha's feet he had expected to see loafers, but was surprised to find black chucks. _Interesting_, he thought, _there might be more to this guy than a stuck up prick_. The double entendre had Naruto chuckling to himself.

Iruka returned to the class which slowly started to quiet down as he passed out copies of the student contact information. Naruto took the paper and glanced down; name and phone number, that was all the Uchiha had written down. Sasuke furrowed his brow as he looked at his partner's contact sheet. Under the name, phone number, address and email was the list of "important information":

_I am a Libra, my favorite color is orange and I live on ramen._

Sasuke snorted inadvertently, Naruto wasn't sure if it was a punctuated chuckle or a sound of annoyance. The raven-haired boy made no further comment as he folded the paper precisely and placed it in his notebook. Naruto watched the pale boy as he handled the contact sheet, his dexterous long fingers creasing the paper; he swore he could see the remnants of black nail polish along the cuticles of his otherwise perfectly manicured digits. He shook the idea from his head, there was no way this kid would wear nail polish.

The lab assignment seemed to be going smoothly, it was mostly getting acquainted with the equipment and making sure all the students knew how to tell if the gas was on. Before leaving each pair had to demonstrate their proficiency by performing a series of inane tasks.

"You seem pretty comfortable with all these beakers and shit," Naruto offered, attempting to break the silence that had grown between him and his partner. No response, s_crew it_, he decided to have a conversation even if the dark-haired boy didn't want to, "I work at a lab so I am used to working with this kind of stuff, although it is more pipettes and centrifuges." This was a half truth, Naruto did work at a lab, but it was mostly as a gopher – delivering supplies, reports and specimens between the departments, "it is a pretty neat gig," he continued, "we do pathology reports and special blood tests and genetic tests."

The blond was too caught up in his one sided conversation to realize he hadn't secured the thermometer fully onto the beaker. He moved his hands away from the beaker to turn on the gas but could not return them in time once he noticed the apparatus had begun to tilt. Naruto hollered obscenities as the beaker, its contents and the thermometer came crashing down.

Sasuke sent a furious glare at the blond as a sparse applause broke out around the room. Naruto grimaced and stepped back as Iruka moved toward the station.

"Nice job Uzumaki, I was wondering how long it would take before noxious materials were spilled," the TA said dryly as he eyed the mercury beads that had formed on the table. He looked at his watch, "43 minutes, I expected more out a 200 level class."

Naruto stood scratching the back of his head, a sheepish grin adorned his flushed face. His eyes darted nervously between the TA and the Uchiha, not quite sure which man seemed more irritated, "Sorry," he finally muttered.

With the mess cleaned up and crisis seemingly averted the students began to pack up for the day. The blond took off his protective glasses – he had bought his own after he spent a semester squinting behind the scratched up lenses of the ancient goggles the school provided – and shoved them into his bag along with his notebook. He picked up one final piece of paper, the Uchiha's contact info, and paused for a moment before shoving it into the front pocket.

"Hey so, I'm sorry abou– " the tanned boy was cut off.

"What lab did you say you worked at?" the pale boy asked, not bothering to look at Naruto as he took off his own glasses.

"What? Why?" the blond blinked in confusion.

"I just want to make sure I never have the misfortune of having any tests ran there." the pale boy retorted with a smug smirk before turning to walk out the room.

* * *

_Stupid fucking Uchiha_, the blond thought, the voice in his head so loud he thought he might actually be talking to himself. Naruto walked off campus while he ranted. _Who the fuck does he think he is? Does he really think he is that much better than everybody else?_ The blond was making his way through the adjacent neighborhoods without a conscious effort and before he realized where he was, he had put down his bag and pressed his back into a chain link fence.

_The guy is such a prick_, he was becoming more and more irritated as his inner monologue continued to discuss the raven-haired boy, "Seriously, I don't think I have ever met anybody who was so damn unpleasant," he didn't even notice when he started to talk out loud, "too fucking good to be bothered with polite conversation, I mean really, who is like that? Who can spend an entire day sneering and refusing to give more than a single syllabus response?"

"Umm...I don't know Naruto, who?" Kiba stood on the other side of the fence, amused at the one sided conversation he seemed to stumble upon. This wasn't the first time Naruto had come to visit him at work and it certainly wasn't the first time said visit involved a conversation that was more introspective than interactive.

The blond turned around, lacing his fingers between the wires of the fence, "This bastard in my chem lab, my new fucking partner." Kiba chuckled at the poorly worded statement, "oh shut up," the blond spat.

"Sorry Naruto, so what's the deal with – HEY DON'T EAT THAT!" the spiky-haired brunet chased after a fluffy black dog that had turned his attention to the business he had just finished making.

Kiba worked part time at a kennel close to campus. It was a pretty sweet gig for the pre vet student – he got to spend the whole day just hanging out with dogs while their owners were either at work or out of town. It wasn't like his stint at the animal shelter which had been thoroughly depressing. This was like day camp for the dogs, it was very laid back – hardly even work really.

Naruto just shrugged as Kiba shooed the canine away and moved to pick up the poop, "I don't know what his deal is, maybe he is just an asshole. I was just being myself and he was acting like my presence was actually causing him physical pain. I think I could have thrown acid on him and it would have been a relief."

"I don't know Naruto, I mean _we_ both know how awesome you are – how lucky anybody would be to spend a few precious seconds with you," Naruto glared at Kiba's attempt at humor, "I'm just saying you can be a bit much some times, maybe he is just put off by your personality."

The blond considered this for a moment before shaking his head, "I don't think so. I wasn't being obnoxious...I don't think," he thought for another moment, "nope. I was just being friendly."

Kiba smirked. Naruto had _many _versions of friendly. There was "nice to meet you" friendly, "I need a favor" friendly, "hey there good looking" friendly, "I am fucking wasted" friendly and "genuinely caring" friendly – just to name a few.

"Well then fuck him," Naruto smirked at this and Kiba furrowed his brow, surprised he had allowed that to come out, "I mean, so what if doesn't want to be your _friend_, not everybody in the world has to be Uzumaki Naruto's friend. Just be cordial and get through the semester. It's an hour a week, I am sure you can handle it."

The blond nodded, his eyes looking up as he sorted his thoughts, "No, I think you were right the first time," he said as he picked up this bag.

"Wait, which part? The 'Naruto is super awesome' or the 'fuck him' part?" Kiba called out as the blond turned and began to walk away.

"Thanks Kiba, I have to get back to campus, see you later," the tanned boy called out over his shoulder as he continued to move away.

Kiba sighed and stared down at the fluffy dog at his feet. _And so the drama begins_, he thought as he crouched to meet the canine's stare. He laughed as the dog affectionately licked the red marks on his cheeks.


	3. A Study in Psychology

**A/N: Thanks to everybody for their reviews and story alerts! I am glad you guys are enjoying reading this story as much as I did writing it.**

**Warnings: No need to avert your eyes this chapter but lemony goodness is soon to follow**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto...sweet, sweet, delicious Naruto.**

* * *

Naruto took another drink of his beer as he stared up at the quickly darkening sky. He was sprawled out on a lounge chair his tiny back yard. He loved and hated this time of year, the afternoons were too warm for long sleeves or jackets but the nights could send a chill right through you. However, this was the perfect time of day, the warmth of the setting sun was the perfect compliment to the cool breeze. The blond would stay out here every night if he could, and contemplate all the things that seemed to weigh on his mind while he watched the last bit of orange sink below the horizon.

He thought about the events of his chem lab and his subsequent conversation with Kiba. Naruto had only been messing with his friend, well about 75 percent messing with him. He _was_ seriously bothered by somebody being such an ass for no reason and he took it as a challenge. Uzumaki Naruto could befriend anybody, no matter how much of a bastard they appeared to be. Naruto would not deny he had a sliver interest in the boy beyond friendship, but he was so put off by the Uchiha's ego that it was easy to ignore. Besides it was not like he was solely interested in guys, there were plenty of fish in Naruto's sea; there was no need putting that much effort into hooking up with somebody.

No, Naruto was simply interested proving to the bastard that he was worth interacting with. The question was, how he as going to do this. It was obvious that the Uchiha was easily annoyed and Naruto was naturally a little annoying, he wondered if he could use that to his advantage somehow. Maybe the pale boy could be conditioned to appreciate the blond's personality. He pondered the idea a bit more before heading inside.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket while he threw his beer bottle into the trash. Scrolling through the contacts he made his selection and put the phone to his ear. After a few rings a familiar voice answered, "hey it's Naruto, you wanna grab something to eat?" he shuffled his feet as he waited for a reply, "in the interest of full disclosure I do have some psychology themed questions," he squinted an eye closed at the colorful language spoken in response, "Ugh, fine, but equal trade and I have the right to say 'pass'," another moment while the deal was finalized, "I don't know," he looked at the clock on the wall, "like an hour? Okay, see you soon."

* * *

Naruto strolled into the bistro, and searched for a familiar face. The restaurant wasn't too busy tonight, the patrons managed to keep the volume to a dull roar. Pink hair stood out brightly against the deep burgundy walls. He made his way to the back of the room, where it was considerably quieter.

He crept stealthily up to the girl who was staring off into the reproduction posters on the wall. He leaned in closely to her ear, his lips brushing against the sensitive skin, "Hey," he breathed his greeting.

The pink-haired girl jumped and shot the blond a halfhearted glare as he settled into the chair across from her, "I ordered some motzy sticks and a kiltlifter for you."

"You're too good to me Sakura," he smiled and she nodded in agreement as she sipped her water.

"So what's up Naruto? The voices in you head starting to get to you?" she feigned concern as she smirked.

"No, not right now," he paused and grinned, "I was wondering what you could tell me about conditioning...you know getting people to like things that they normally wouldn't."

Sakura furrowed her brow as she considered the statement, she shook her head slightly before responding, "well first off, that is a disturbing question coming from you. Secondly that is not what conditioning really is. Conditioning is reinforcing a specific response to a stimulus. Let's back up, who are you wanting to condition?"

Naruto stuck out his bottom lip in a pout and slumped in his chair, "my douche chem partner."

The pink-haired girl rolled her eyes, "and why is this guy a douche?"

The blond huffed, "if I knew that I wouldn't need your help." Sakura only stared at him, waiting for him to finish his tantrum, "he is just an ass. He wouldn't talk to me all day except for little quips and snorts and shit. He kept giving me all these little glares and sneers, like it was such a chore to be in the same room as me."

"So this guy really got under your skin, huh?" Sakura said, trying to hide her amusement.

"Why is that so funny? The guy was a total prick and I am going to have to spend the whole semester with him," he had left the tantrum but was starting to become agitated.

Sakura softened her expression, "you know Naruto, not everybody has to like you," the blond huffed in response, he was returning to tantrum mode. Sakura knew Naruto well enough to know that was not a satisfactory answer; the blond was a people pleaser, he had created an identity that required people like him. For reasons Sakura was still trying to understand, the boy had made it a goal in life to get people to acknowledge and accept him – and with _very_ few exceptions every person he came into contact with did. "Alright, let me think about it," she said as she turned her attention to the bag that was occupying the seat next to her.

Naruto was too distracted by the black-haired waitress to see what Sakura was doing. He flashed his patented "how you doin'?" smile to her as she set down a basket of mozzarella sticks and his beer. She smiled and returned the tray to her body, allowing the rim to gently press her bosom up.

"Is there anything else I can get you?" she said to the blond, brushing her hair behind her ear.

The blond raised an eyebrow, his gaze traveling over her various features, while he formulated his response.

"No thanks, we are fine," the answer came from the forgotten girl on the other side of the table.

The waitress jumped a little at Sakura's voice and nodded, a blush settling on her cheeks. She hurriedly left the table and Naruto allowed his gaze to follow her figure until it was replaced with the green eyes across the table. He gave her a sheepish grin and she only rolled her eyes at him. His expression quickly soured when he noticed the folders and notepad Sakura had organized in front of her. He groaned and took a long drink of his beer.

* * *

Sakura was a very young, only 21 at the time, first year grad student when she met Naruto; she had TA'd his psych 100 class when he was a freshman. Her hair was pink even back then and Naruto was infatuated with the confident and sensual woman. Maybe it was just because she was actually a woman, not a girl – not like any of his previous interests. Despite Sakura's cold demeanor, the boy could not be discouraged.

Their torrid affair was short lived and while she knew it was wrong, that only made her want it more. She also knew that she would likely tear out the eager young boy's heart, but her own hormones wouldn't let her stop. He had "convinced" her to meet in the library for a private tutoring session before the final exam. She knew, possibly even better than he did, what was going to happen during that meeting.

She had let him think it was his idea when they took one of the private reading rooms, but in reality she had been the one to shut the blinds. He thought he was being coy when he kept asking stupid questions that they both knew he had the answers to, but Sakura was less subtle when she looked over his shoulder, placing her hand on his back as she leaned over in her v-neck sweater. She stood behind him and whispered answers in his ear and when he finally turned to look at her she continued to answer as she moved her lips to his.

He was exactly what she expected; wildly enthusiastic and powerful. While she may have had the upper hand mentally, he dominated her physically. Naruto didn't even realize he was following her orders when he pushed her into the wall or pulled her hair. Their sloppy session had left them both very satisfied, enough for an encore a few days later.

Once the semester ended Naruto had expected to take things with Sakura to the next level, figuring her position as his TA was what kept them from consummating their relationship. However, she never called him, and like a punk he had forgotten to get her number. He hung out in the psych department as often as he could but never saw a trace of her pretty pink head. After close to a month of pining he finally gave up.

She saw him in the student union nearly three months after their first hook up; he was leaning over a table, stroking the bangs of an auburn-haired girl. The coed was suppressing a blush, indicating to Sakura that this intimate contact was quite new. She smiled to herself – the boy had not only bounced back, but he had learned a few things.

It would be few more weeks until Sakura found the right time to once again approach the blond. When she did he greeted her with open arms – literally, he pulled her into a very tight and completely platonic embrace. She finally gave him her number and they went to a movie the following weekend.

She found herself not only happy to be back around the boisterous blond, but also quite intrigued with him. Sakura had never bothered to really learn that much about him before, but now that she was spending _quality_ time with him, she found the story of his life to be rather extraordinary.

Naruto had been adopted, a fact that Sakura could have guessed, however the terms of his adoption seemed strange to the grad student. He had been taken in by a single man and an erotic novelist to boot. Sakura had never heard of a child being adopted by a single parent, let alone a single man, and certainly no adoption agency would allow a child to be taken in by a pornographer. It was one of many questions Sakura had for the blond.

Other questions included where the symmetrical scars on the boy's cheeks came from and the reason behind his obsession with befriending everyone he met. Every time she brought up any of these topics he would give a vague response or change the subject entirely. And she asked him every opportunity she got, because towards the end of his freshman year he had become the topic of her graduate thesis.

* * *

She sat, poised, pen in hand and scanned her list of topics. She looked up at the blond who was scowling as he stared back at her. She glanced down again, tapping her pen to the paper.

"How old were you when you learned what Jiraiya did for a living?" She asked tentatively, not sure how open Naruto was feeling tonight.

He shrugged, "I'm not sure, 12 maybe." Naruto looked out the window as he recalled the memory, "I came across a manuscript in his study, he had left it out on the desk. I had gone in to get some paper, me some other kids were making paper planes. I took the manuscript on accident, it was just a stack of loose paper. It wasn't until we started folding the pages that we realized it was typed on and we started to read it."

Sakura hummed while she jotted down her notes, "were these friends boys or girls or both?"

Naruto blinked at the question and then looked up, searching his mind for the answer, "mostly boys...yeah...I think it was three boys and a tom girl that hung out with us a lot."

She nodded, pink hair falling in her face, "how did everybody react when they realized what they were reading?"

"We were 12, how do you think we reacted? We all giggled and passed the pages around, reading selections aloud," Naruto frowned suddenly, eyes becoming dark, "one of the kids took some of the pages home with him and his mother found them while cleaning his room. She was so angry, and he told her where it came from to keep from getting beat. I don't blame him...but she told some of the other parents and most of the neighborhood kids weren't allowed to come over any more."

"That must have been really frustrating, losing all your friends because of Jiraiya's occupation," Sakura tried to sound supportive even as she wrote down key points.

"No, it wasn't that bad," the blond shook his head, and took of bite of his mozzarella stick, "I mean, I never blamed Jiraiya, after all _I_ was the one to go into his study when he told me repeatedly not to. Besides I started junior high the next year and met a whole bunch of kids that didn't know about any of that. But I learned to be more careful."

"Careful about what?" Sakura cocked her head in interest.

Naruto tipped his glass, finishing off his beer and sat back, "nope, not until you offer me a tip on the bastard."

Sakura huffed and put down her pen, "one of your best traits, Naruto, is your persistence in the face of adversity. However, persistence can also be a very annoying trait to those who are... adverse to you. Find a way to continue your advances while appearing apathetic. Show him that you would like to be his friend but make it seem like you don't care if he rejects you," she paused as he considered her advice, "now, careful about what?"

Naruto's eyes moved to meet hers and he gave her a slight glare, after an overly dramatic sigh he answered, "talking about sex stuff. The older I got the more freely Jiraiya spoke on the subject and I realized that this was likely not the case in most households," he paused while he considered that statement, "don't get me wrong, he wasn't like _graphic_ or anything. He was just a pervert, it was like talking to any of my other friends."

Sakura nodded while she wrote. Naruto seemed to be exceptionally open tonight, so Sakura decided to go for broke. She flipped through the pages, coming to a section of notes with only few comments written down, "tell me about Gaara."

Naruto pursed his lips, "What do you want to know?"

"Everything."

The blond glanced down at his watch, "Sorry Sakura, I'll have to take a rain check on that one," Naruto moved to get up and his pink-haired companion tossed her pen down, "thanks for your help."

She glared up at him while he dropped some cash on the table, "I am going to get it out of you eventually."

"No doubt in my mind," he replied as he walked towards the door, "have a good night."

"You too Uzumaki," but he had already moved out of earshot.

Sakura packed up her belongings and sifted through the cash on the table, making sure there was enough to cover the bill and tip. She stopped when she noticed a folded paper slipped into the bills. She picked it up and gave it a scrutinizing glare - Naruto's name and phone number. _Does he keep a copy of this on hand?_ She shook her head and replaced the note.

* * *

**A/N: For those of you who are Sakura bashers, I am sorry to disappoint. She actually plays an important role in this fic and I hope I have written her well enough to gain your approval. Kthxbye**


	4. Pale Boys

**A/N: I am glad everybody seems to be enjoying this story. I don't know why exactly, but this is one of my favorite chapters so I hope you all like it!**

**Warnings: There are some mentionings of boyxboy in this chapter - you have been warned**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto...I know, shocker right?**

* * *

Naruto's plan was poorly formulated, but at least it was a plan; if he was lucky and it was properly executed, it just might work. The blond had perfect timing, he arrived to class after Sasuke but before anybody else had moved to take the seat next to him.

"Hey," Naruto said as he slipped into the chair next to his brooding partner, who seemed to tense immediately.

The blond made no argument when he received no reply, he simply shrugged and pulled out his things. Naruto took fastidious notes...for about 20 minutes. He stole a quick glance at the raven-haired boy; he was writing neatly in his notebook, highlighting key points and even referencing related pages in the text book. Naruto rolled his eyes and looked down at his own mess of notes, even when he tried it was nothing compared to the bastard, he might as well have been using crayon.

Deciding now was as good a time as any, Naruto set his plan in motion. He arranged his notebook so that it laid open, his active notes on the right and the blank back pages on the left. Between taking notes he scribbled onto the blank page. He tossed a few glances at the Uchiha who deftly ignored him, Naruto cleared his throat but still nothing, so finally he reached over and poked the boy's arm. He quickly returned to his notes, ignoring the glare that was being burned into him; however he did take notice when the dark eyes darted down to his notebook before returning to the front of the class.

_Hey_

Sasuke made no indication he was going to reply but Naruto was not easily deterred.

_How are you?_

The blond waited a few minutes, and finally curiosity got the better of the Uchiha – he glanced down again, but he still did not reply.

_I'm good, thanks for asking_.

_I wanted to apologize for nearly splattering you with mercury the other day._

After several minutes passed with no response, Naruto grabbed another pen out of his bag and began to alternate between the two.

_**Don't worry about that, I am immune to mercury poisoning**_

_How's that now?_

_**You see I am actually a robot sent to Earth to learn about your culture**_

_Oh, so that is why you are incapable of normal human interaction?_

_**Not entirely, I am considered a dick even by robot standards**_

_That makes sense...so what are you learning about humans?_

_**They are insignificant life forms, my morning shit is smarter than most people**_

_Wow...robots have sentient turds?_

Naruto was quite amused with how his pretend conversation was going. He was forced to pause it when he noticed how far behind he was in his actual note taking. His pen stopped when he heard the quietest snort come from the bastard. He gave the pale boy a sideways glance and noticed he was shaking his head. Bolstered by this ever so slight response, Naruto continued.

_So now that I know what you are...are you going to kill me?_

_**No, you are not worth it**_

_Are you going to do a bunch of weird experiments on me?_

Naruto paused again when a hand out was passed to him from the student on his right. He moved the stack of papers along absentmindedly and thumbed through the pages, not 100% clear on what he was looking at – he really should have been paying more attention to the actual class. Apparently the 50 minutes had flown by, because shortly after explaining their assignment for the next class, students had begun to pack up their stuff. Naruto shoved his book into his bag, followed by his two pens. He went to close his notebook when he noticed something he hadn't written.

_**Do you want me to?**_

The sharp, clean letters written in a deep blue ink stood out on the page. Naruto's eyes widened and he jerked his head up only find the seat next to him already empty. He blinked a few times and looked around the room, but the raven-haired boy was nowhere to be seen.

His gaze settled back onto the page, his eyes slowly analyzing each letter. Naruto had never expected an actual response, he would have been satisfied with the little snort he had received earlier, but this was amazing._And a little suggestive_. What's worse was that it meant Sakura had actually helped him, now he was going to owe her – and he knew exactly what she wanted.

* * *

"Wow," Sakura said as she read the transcript in Naruto's notebook.

"I know, right?" He was leaning back on the other end of the couch, watching her analyze the pseudo-conversation.

She pursed her lips and looked up at the blond, "this is what you did with my advice? You had a fake conversation about bowel movements?" she easily blocked the pillow that was tossed at her, "well, despite your strange methods, I think this may have worked. We will just have to see what happens on Friday."

Naruto leaned in closer, his eyes deepening with anxiety, "what do you think he meant?"

Sakura furrowed her brow, "I really can't speculate on that right now."

He sighed and returned to his recumbent position, but he knew she was right. Who the hell would be able to decode an emotionless bastard like Sasuke. He let his head fall on the cushion behind him and released a groan while he flicked his wrist at the girl, signaling he was prepared to answer her questions.

She perked up and shifted in her seat, setting the notepad on her lap and turning on her tape recorder. She tried to record every session, but there were several times – like the restaurant earlier in the week – where it just wasn't practical. Hell, some of her notes were scribbled on napkins during unexpected confessions over 2 AM dinner/breakfasts. Today however, she was prepared.

"How did you get your scars?" she asked, pen ready.

"Nope, you get to hear about Gaara tonight," the blond replied as he scooted further down on the couch, his feet inching closer to Sakura.

She shuffled through her notes, "Okay, Gaara...How did you two meet?"

"Gaara was in my English 101 class. He had...has, some anger issues. He was always arguing in the class, which wasn't necessarily inappropriate since it was a debate and persuasion oriented course. But he was really over the top. I don't know why I wanted to be friends with him, I guess he was just so passionate about everything, even though he was so cold – he was a paradox and I had never met anybody like him."

"So your relationship was purely platonic?" Sakura already knew the answer to that question.

Naruto sent her an annoyed glare, "We sat next to each other in class and hung out a few times afterward. Either he got fed up or got kicked out of class, I never really found out which it was, but about a month before the end of the semester he stopped showing up. I didn't expect to see him again, but he saw me walking to my dorm room one day and I invited him over." Naruto shifted a little on the couch and Sakura watched him as he examined his ceiling, "I never questioned his intentions. I always just thought he was this cool, angsty guy – you know eyeliner and tattoos and burgundy hair – and I thought he would be a good time," his eyes widened and he began to stutter, "...good time to hang out with. You know go to coffee houses and listen to bad music."

Sakura laughed lightly and her demeanor quickly put Naruto at ease, "so when did things change?"

"I had a shitty ass week. It was almost the end of my freshman year and I was stressed about my English 102 class - I had missed a deadline because my computer died on Monday, I got a flat tire and was late to work Wednesday and some asshole stole a load of my laundry on Thursday. So once I was done with my day on Friday I decided it was time to get piss drunk. Of course I was only 19 so I had to bum my booze off any willing neighbors." he laughed at the thought, the shit he was willing to drink before he could by his own beer, "I was about 5 cheap beers in when Gaara came to my room. I don't remember a lot from before he came over, but I remember I was laying on my bed, blaring my music out into the hallway."

Sakura smiled at him, he was such a good storyteller – no doubt it was something he picked up from his guardian, "so Gaara came over when you were drunk..."

"I wasn't drunk!" Naruto defended, his voice a little more aggressive than he had intended, "sorry, I mean...I had been drinking and I was definitely buzzing, but I knew what was going on," he raked his fingers through his hair and gave himself a second to calm down, "anyway, he must have been there for a couple minutes watching me. I think I realized that somebody was standing in the doorway but I didn't bother to acknowledge them, I just laid there. He finally came in and asked how my day was, retrospectively I realize this was a rhetorical question, but at the moment I didn't pick up on his sarcasm, so I started to rattle off all the crap that had led me to drown in bad beer.

"He approached me on the bed, I was sprawled out with my legs dangling off the edge. I don't know why...well I guess I know now, but in the moment, it didn't feel awkward when he straddled me. He took the beer from my hand - I remember the disgusted look on his face after he finished it – and he dropped the bottle on the floor. I thought it would break, but it must have landed on something soft because all I heard was a thud. I propped myself up on my elbows, I think I was going to bitch at him for finishing my last beer, but he settled into my lap and I didn't speak.

"Gaara didn't say anything, he just stared at me. He ran his fingers through my hair," Naruto paused as he performed the motion on himself, he moved his eyes from the ceiling to Sakura who had stopped taking notes, "it was really fucking intense. I mean, I had never felt anything like that before. I really don't know if it was because he was a guy or because I was tipsy or because the damn door was still open, or some combination but my heart was racing and I was _really_ excited.

"When he leaned in to kiss me I remember a lot of thoughts going through my head, but I cannot tell you what any of them were – it was like an orchestra tuning up and then suddenly it was silent. And then it was just the sound of me moaning."

Sakura squirmed a little on the couch, the air seemed to be a lot thicker and she had to swallow a couple times to keep her throat from going dry, "so you developed a physical relationship with Gaara?"

Naruto snorted, "yeah, you could call it that," he shifted again on the couch and Sakura managed to maintain a serious expression despite her wondering what was currently going on in Naruto's pants, "we fooled around a lot, but I wouldn't say we actually dated. I don't think Gaara is capable of a real relationship, he is too self-absorbed. I don't mean that in a negative way, it's just that he acts in the moment and doesn't really consider the consequences his actions may have on others," he paused and furrowed his brow, "okay, that doesn't sound any better. Gaara is just...Gaara. He's fickle," the blond shook his head, "anyway, I realized what we had wasn't going to lead to anything substantial so we made a deal – if we ever needed a...release, and the other wasn't involved, we would get together."

"So you became fuck buddies?" Sakura responded coolly.

Naruto pondered the statement before responding, "you know that kind of relationship is nearly impossible to have with a girl, but it is surprisingly easy to have it with a guy. And to clarify, we were more like heavy petting buddies. There was one time, I guess it was about a eight months ago, that we actually had sex. He had come to me looking for a hook up and things got a little out of control, I guess I was needing it too," he looked at Sakura, a little concerned what she might think, but he was relieved to see not even a trace of judgment in her sea foam eyes, "I topped in case that is your next question."

Sakura rolled her eyes but they were still kind when she looked back at him, "what happened after you had sex?"

Naruto clenched his jaw slightly, "we both decided it was a mistake. An occasional hand job was one thing, but fucking was something else entirely and it seemed too intimate. Which is kind of a funny thing to say I think," Naruto mused aloud, "I mean isn't there supposed to be a difference between fucking and like _making love_? And as a guy, aren't I supposed to prefer the former over the latter? I guess it just seems like _fucking_ sullies sex – you know? Makes it shallow. And I don't think sex is something to be shared with everybody," he shook his head and snickered to himself, "hand jobs are different, those can be handed out like candy." Naruto was not able to dodge the pillow that was hurled at his face.


	5. Bad Weather

**A/N: Thanks for all the support! Keep feeding me reviews and I will keep feeding you chapters!**

**Warnings: I know what you are thinking - "where are my lemons? I want my lemons now!" - all in due time, I promise. The longer you wait, the better it will be.**

**Disclaimer: A little bit of Naruto belongs to all of us...but technically, no - I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

Naruto should have guessed that Friday was going to suck being as it directly followed Thursday. He had Intro to Asian American Studies and Religion in Popular Culture on Thursdays, both put up a valiant fight for the title of "Most Boring Class Ever" and he struggled to keep conscious. School dragged on, what was actually two 80 minute classes felt as if they had been going on for an eternity; he looked up at the clock in five minute intervals, every time he hoped the clock would be further along than it was.

After class Naruto worked a six hour shift. The lab was much busier and far more tense than normal as the R&D department was under pressure to finish their quarterly projects. Even Shikamaru, who normally couldn't be bothered, seemed stressed. Naruto had offered to take his coworker out for drinks after work but he politely declined.

So here it was, Friday, and the day was starting out pretty dismally. Naruto woke up late and had to skip breakfast, then the blond rushed out the door without grabbing a jacket. About three blocks away from his house, and too far to turn back, the first drop of rain fell. Naruto held out his hand as he walked towards campus and more drops crashed on to his tanned skin. _Great_.

By the time he reached campus Naruto was in the middle of a deluge. His white t-shirt clung to him and his soaked, darkened denim weighed him down with every step. Naruto stepped into his class and was not surprised to find many of the other students had also been caught unprepared by the unrelenting rain.

He was, however, surprised when Iruka approached him with a dry towel, "I can't have half the class coming down with pneumonia," he said as he handed it to the drenched blond.

Naruto accepted the towel and quickly got to work patting himself dry. He ran the cloth over his head and rubbed vigorously. The blond slowly brought the towel down and then stopped his movements completely when he noticed he was being watched. He looked down to see onyx eyes staring up at him, the dark gaze caused him to hold his breath.

"You look like a drowned rat," the dry Uchiha commented.

Naruto exhaled, "What? Do you repel water too?"

Sasuke reached down next to his bag and displayed his umbrella. _Figures_, Naruto thought as he huffed and collapsed into his chair. He opened his bag and was relieved to find the contents inside still dry. He took out his supplies and prepared to take notes. The blond considered making another attempt at writing to the pale boy next to him, but decided against it.

The class went surprisingly fast and Naruto was eager to pack up, get back home and change. As he moved to the exit he mood sank impossibly lower. He was cold, still quite wet and now he stared out at the sheets of rain that continued to pour outside. He stood at the double door, staring out the window, a scowl growing on his face.

Sasuke walked up to the door next to him and paused to examine the blond. Naruto shot him a quick glare before returning his focus to the downpour. The raven-haired boy lingered for a moment longer before pushing the door open. Sasuke opened his umbrella and took a few steps out into the torrent of water before stopping. He turned his head and cast a glance back at the blond. Naruto watched him for a moment, unsure if this was the Uchiha's attempt at an invitation. Tentatively, he opened the door and stepped outside.

"Oi, Sasuke!" he called out over the deafening rain, "wait up!" The pale boy turned to face the blond who was still standing under the awning, "do you think you could walk me home?" Sasuke did not reply, but he didn't walk away either. Naruto ran up to him, taking shelter under his umbrella, "thanks, I don't live too far."

Sasuke's expression did not change as he began to move further into the rain. The two walked in silence except for Naruto's occasional directions. They rounded the corner of Naruto's street and the blond finally broke the silence, "I'm right up there, the yellow house," the blond pointed down the street, "thanks again for this Sasuke, you could have just left me in the rain."

"I could have," he responded coolly.

They stopped in front of Naruto's house, the blond shifted on his feet, "do you want to come in for a while, you know, wait for the rain to die down?"

"No."

"Oh," Naruto didn't know why he was surprised, "Okay then...I guess I will see you next week?"

The raven-haired boy gave a curt nod and walked away, Naruto watched him as he moved down the street. He turned back to his door and allowed a his lips to curve into a small smile. Once inside he immediately stripped out of the wet clothes, leaving them in a pile on the floor in front of his washer. He made his way to the bathroom and drew himself a hot bath.

Naruto sank into the steaming water and listened as the rain pummeled the bathroom window. He moaned as his muscles began to warm and relax. The blond laid his head back, closed his eyes, and let his mind wonder. He thought about work and what he was going to do over the weekend, his mind returned to school and prioritized his homework. His ruminations finally settled on the Uchiha, and how much progress Naruto had made in a few short days. Granted Sasuke had refused to come in and he didn't really talk much all day, but it still seemed like he was warming up to the blond. The thought of a non asshole Sasuke made Naruto grin a little, he just might be okay if he got the stick up his ass removed.

* * *

Sasuke walked back to campus, deftly avoiding the puddles that were threatening to swallow the street. He didn't quite understand why he had walked his obnoxious partner home, it wasn't his fault the idiot went out unprepared. If he were anybody else he would have guessed he felt sorry for the blond, but Sasuke never felt pity – well very rarely felt it, he was still human after all. The blond had managed to amuse him with his juvenile little notes on Wednesday, maybe Sasuke was just getting soft. No, Uchihas don't get soft, they become more and more distant until they become a shell of a person – or so was Sasuke's experience with his bloodline.

Then again, there was nobody left in the Uchiha family to tell him how he was supposed to behave, he could act however he wished and nobody could be disappointed...of course nobody could give him approval either. Sasuke was jarred out of contemplation by the vibrating against his leg.

He pulled out his phone and glared at the caller ID, "What?" he answered as he moved into the parking lot, "What do you mean? Shit, what time is it?" Sasuke moved the phone to his shoulder as he pulled out his keys, "dammit, I will be there in about 15 minutes."

Sasuke didn't bother to wait for a reply before hanging up and placing the phone back into his pocket. He opened the door and slipped off his bag, tossing it to the black leather seat. The pale boy ducked inside and closed the umbrella, he shook the excess water off before placing it on the floor behind his seat. _Damn blond idiot, making me late_, the thought as he started the car. The Audi's engine came to life and he let it warm up for a minute while he wrung the steering wheel. He didn't know which bothered him more, that he had been inconvenienced or that he had allowed himself to be distracted. He glared at the clock and huffed before pulling out of his parking space.

True to his word Sasuke arrived at his loft 17 minutes after he ended his phone call. His band mates were all waiting in the lobby for him. He acknowledged them with a nod before moving towards the elevator. They scrambled to gather up their gear, Sasuke insisted the only one allowed to their shit at his place was Karin, and that was just for the convenience – he didn't want to lug her drum set around every time they practiced. Juugo had his bass strapped to his back and carried up two amps, Suigetsu brought along his guitar.

They rode the elevator to the top floor and clambered out with all their gear. As Juugo and Suigetsu set up Sasuke grabbed a bottle of water from his fridge. The nice thing about money; it meant you could get what you wanted. Like his Audi TT, he didn't have to fret about financing, he just had to pick out the color – like that was hard, "brilliant black" was the name of the paint. His loft was another example of being able to throw money at any problem; he had picked out the 2200 square foot space before the building had even opened. In his purchase agreement he arranged to pay 1/3 of the rent for the space below him to compensate the future tenants for any noise that might result from the band practicing.

Sasuke fell gracefully into a chair while he watched the other boys prepare. He could feel Karin watching him, she was leaning against the glass wall that separated the living space from the balcony. He met her gaze, giving her his own cold glare.

"What?" he finally spat when she didn't back down.

"Why were you late? You're never late," she said moving off the glass and walking towards him.

Sasuke scoffed and turned away from her. She moved behind him but he didn't bother to watch her, he didn't want to give her the impression that he cared what she did – or what she thought for that matter. He did freeze when he felt her hands on his shoulders, squeezing lightly. She was kneading the muscles, whispering something into his ear.

He wasn't listening, he was looking at Suigetsu who had stopped tuning his guitar to watch their interaction. Sasuke suddenly became very uncomfortable, it was a feeling he was starting to feel more and more. He stood up quickly and Karin nearly toppled down onto the chair he had vacated. She glared at him briefly before her eyes caught Suigetsu's and the lightest pink dusted her cheeks.

Everybody, with the exception of Juugo, knew what was going on; the awkward tension that had been building up between the drummer, the guitarist and the singer. However nobody talked about it, neither boy to the other and neither of them to the girl; but it had begun to fester and a part of each of them knew it needed to be addressed before it caused any irreparable damage. Sasuke had hoped his obvious rejection of Karin's advances would be enough to end it, but she was incorrigible. Sasuke didn't know if he was even capable of having the necessary conversation; if he could discuss emotions he didn't even understand.

So Sasuke did what he did best, he pushed her away and put up a wall. The raven-haired boy grabbed the microphone from the corner of the room and moved to join the rest of the group. He looked out the window as the instruments came to life; the rain had finally stopped and beams of light began to peak through the clouds.

* * *

**A/N: I know this chapter was kind of short, but I will more than make up for it with the next. **


	6. Not a Date

**A/N: Thanks yet again for all the reviews! You have all been very supportive and patient, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter for it's limey goodness.**

**Warnings: sweet, sweet boyxboy action in this chapter. For those of you who are easily offended - this chapter contains nothing explicit. For those of you who are hard-core junkies - there is plenty more to come, so don't despair.**

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned Naruto...actually I might like it better if Naruto owned me...but alas neither is the case.

* * *

**

_There it is again_, Naruto thought. He looked around the lab, trying to locate the origin of the sound; over the last few weeks he had accustomed himself to the various beeps and buzzes of this particular lab. It wasn't the hiss of gas or the drone of the fume hood. Naruto slitted his eyes as he concentrated, he looked over to his lab partner who appeared deep in thought as he scribbled into his notebook. The blond leaned closer to Sasuke and the sound became louder. His eyes grew wide, _Sasuke is humming!_ This was, without a doubt, the most normal thing he had ever seen the Uchiha do - and it was sort of disturbing.

"What are you humming?" The blond asked, curiosity getting the better oh him.

Sasuke's eyes widen for a split second, he hadn't realized he _was_ humming. He closed his notebook and turned to look at the blond, "a song."

"Yeah, I figured that much. What song?" Naruto turned to face the resistant Uchiha.

"I don't think you would know it. It's by a local band," the pale boy replied coldly.

"Try me," the blond challenged.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Have you ever heard of Taka?"

Naruto gave a foxy grin, "I saw them at Finnigan's like a month ago."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, _he doesn't recognize me?_ The dark-haired boy decided to take this opportunity to get an honest review, "What did you think of them?"

Naruto leaned back in his chair, "they were good," the blond paused, "the singer gave me a hard on from across the room." Sasuke jerked his head up, his eyebrow tweaked impossibly high. The blond returned the puzzled look with his own, "did I say that out loud?" the pale boy nodded, Naruto gave a cheeky grin, "whoops."

Sensing the impending awkward silence, Naruto shifted gears, "Have you ever been to Finnigan's?" Sasuke stared blankly for a moment before turning his attention back to his lab assignment, "You should go sometime; it's this Irish pub kinda place but the downstairs was converted to a club with a bar and a dance floor and a stage. It's only about two blocks from campus and...Oh oh!" the blond suddenly got very excited, "dude you should go tomorrow, it's karaoke night!"

Sasuke's eye twitched at the invitation, the blond waggled his eyebrows, "eh, eh?" the pale boy continued to glare, "awe come on," Naruto nudged and Sasuke looked away annoyed.

The blond slumped his shoulders and began to pout. He stuck out his bottom lip and waited for Sasuke to cast another glare. Sure enough the bastard turned to look at his partner and his eye twitched again when Naruto began to bat his eyes. Something beyond Sasuke's comprehension caused his scowl to falter and lips turn upward slightly. He looked into the big sapphire eyes and felt a warmth spread throughout him.

"No," he said, but his eyes were inexplicably softer.

"Saaasukee," the blond whined, nudging him again.

The pale boy began to pack up his things, Naruto gave a discouraged sigh and gathered up his own supplies. The blond hoisted his bag onto his shoulder and handed his lab sheet to Iruka as the TA passed by their station.

"See you later," Naruto said before moving to exit the room.

"Tomorrow," the pale boy replied, Naruto stopped mid-stride and turned on his heels, "your place, seven o'clock."

The blond beamed back at him, "you are _not_ going to regret this!"

"I already am," Sasuke mumbled as his partner practically skipped out of the room.

* * *

Work went much better than it had in the last few days – Naruto's good mood could not be diminished. His day started like so many others, running requisition forms and reports to and from various offices. Things got a little more interesting when the courier arrived. Naruto went on his rounds, delivering two biopsies to the histopathology lab – one mass was small, round and smooth but the other was lumpy and amorphous – Naruto wasn't sure, but he imagined that is what cancer looked like. He moved upstairs to the DNA processing lab, they did mostly contract work for the police and a few other organizations.

Naruto cleared his throat as he stood in the doorway, a tech turned to him, "I have some presents for you," the blond teased, rattling the box of samples.

The tech moved to him looking slightly amused, "okay. We've got a condom – I'm sure you know what do to with that," the blond smiled as he handed over the bag marked "_evidence_". Rifling through the box he continued, "next up a bloody knife – nothing special there. And finally..." he paused as he examined the item, "a glass pipe," the blond handed over the last bag, "I am no criminologist, but I think _somebody_ killed a crack whore."

The technician chuckled as he received the last bag, "thanks, Naruto."

The blond returned to his office, or more accurately, to the cramped closet he called an office, and filed away paperwork while he waited for his next call. He was undoubtedly a gopher and would describe his job as such but if you asked him his title he would proudly stick out his chest and say he was an "interdepartmental liaison", in reality the only reason he wore a white lab coat was because they let him.

"Naruto," the soft voice called over the intercom.

"Yes, my sweet Hinata?" he answered.

"You are needed downstairs, in the pat lab," her voice was almost impossible to hear.

Naruto was always happy to make a trip down to the paternity lab, it was guaranteed to be amusing. He was usually called down in the event a donor was acting up, and men were creative when it came to trying to trick their way out of a paternity test. He had seen guys send friends with fake IDs, sample trays being tipped over before the proper labels were made, one guy even tried to smuggle in a replacement tube – where he got the blood from was still under speculation.

Today Naruto had been called down to help restrain the donor, a wiry looking man with a dragon tattoo on his neck – Naruto never understood what women saw in most of the guys that came through here. The scrawny man looked up at Naruto who smiled and tsked. Most people underestimated Naruto's strength, and this man was one of those people. The tanned boy moved to hold the donor's arms, but the tattooed man evaded him, jumping out of the chair and knocking Naruto down in the process.

The blond got up and quickly overpowered the wiry man, dropping him to his knees and holding his arms behind his back, "now I can either hold you down while the nice lady takes your blood," the man struggled in vain against Naruto's grip, "or you can sit in the chair like a good boy."

The donor struggled to escape the blond a few more times before finally slumping down onto the floor. Naruto brought the scrawny man to his feet and returned him to the chair. He held the donor in place while the phlebotomist went to work. Once the dragon man was safely off the property Naruto returned to his "office".

Five o'clock came quickly and Naruto found himself standing outside the genetics lab, "Shikamaru!" he called out as he stood in the doorway.

The blond watched in amusement as his friend meandered to the door. Shikamaru had already taken off his lab coat but left his brown hair pulled back in a high, short ponytail. He gave a nod as he walked past Naruto.

"We are going to the Pour House tonight," Naruto stated as the two walked down the sterile hallway, "it's dollar shot night."

Shikamaru didn't argue, he simply followed Naruto to his car, "meet me at my place, we can walk from there."

The brunet nodded and moved across the parking lot. Naruto pulled out his phone along with his keys, he dialed as he unlocked his Jetta.

"Oi, Kiba!" Naruto shouted into his phone, "come over, I convinced Shika to go to the Pour House tonight. Yeah, it is dollar shot night bitch!" he laughed heartily as he got into the vehicle, "we will probably head out about six," he paused while Kiba confirmed, "sweet, see you soon."

* * *

The Pour House was a perfect dive bar; it was dark, wood paneled and the jukebox contained no songs released after 1993. The three men took their first shot and made their way to the pool table. Shikamaru sat back and watched as Naruto took on Kiba.

Naruto broke and stood back while Kiba lined up his shot, "things are going better with the bastard," the blond said as his opponent sank a solid.

"Hmm?" the spiky-haired boy moved around the table, "your chem partner?" the blond nodded, "you make out with him yet?"

Naruto's grin fell into a scowl, partly due to the snide comment but also because Kiba sank another ball. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, waiting for the blond to answer.

"No," Naruto did not get defensive, rather he changed subjects, "I'm going to get another round of shots," he walked back to the bar while Kiba sank yet another ball.

Kiba had clearly hustled Naruto, as was evident by the whopping one ball the blond had managed to sink before the game was over. Naruto sat out while Shikamaru challenged the spiky-haired boy. After his third drink, the blond had forgotten Kiba's remarks and decided to bring up the Uchiha again.

"So I'm going to karaoke with Sasuke tomorrow," Naruto commented to nobody in particular.

Kiba and Shikamaru exchanged glances, "like a date?" Kiba replied.

Naruto sent a halfhearted glare to the boy, "No, like..." Naruto struggled to find the right words, "like the tight ass needs to loosen up and I am going to be the one to do it."

Kiba gave the blond a bewildered look, _did he really just say that?_ Naruto returned the stare with his own confused expression. He seemed to have a tendency for Freudian slips.

Kiba pursed his lips before shrugging, "right...well whatever you call it, be sure to use protection."

Even Shikamaru laughed at that. His friends were not implying that Naruto got around, simply that he was often quick to get involved. One thing everybody knew about Naruto – he wore his heart on his sleeve, even if he would never admit it. The fool had more than a few trysts every semester and most of the time they ended painlessly, but it was the ones he didn't see coming that really hit him hard.

Naruto flipped them off and took another shot of whiskey. Shikamaru rolled his eyes and Kiba chuckled, "just don't let him break your heart," the spiky-haired boy teased.

Naruto's glare hardened despite his friends' laughter. _Those guys don't know what they're talking about_. Naruto wasn't interested in Sasuke that way. Sure the raven-haired boy was attractive and sometimes the intensity in those dark eyes caused Naruto's heart to beat a little faster; but just because Naruto had wondered what the pale boy smelled like...tasted like, that didn't mean –

"Damn," the blond muttered.

* * *

Naruto moved to answer the door, still working to button his shirt. Sasuke stood on the other side, hands stuffed in his pockets, indifferent expression plastered on his face. The blond opened the door a little wider, inviting the pale boy into his house.

"I'm almost ready, make yourself at home," Naruto smiled at the raven-haired boy as he walked back to the bathroom.

Naruto left the door open while he finished getting ready, occasionally shifting his gaze down the hall, towards living room. He tousled his blond hair with a little bit of gel, achieving his patented mess of spikes. Naruto returned his attention to his shirt, he paused halfway through buttoning and looked up into the mirror. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of the obsidian eyes that reflected on him.

"Jesus Sasuke," the blond gasped, turning to face the pale boy, "are you a fucking ninja? My heart is racing."

Sasuke slowly blinked, his cool expression did nothing to calm Naruto down, "did I scare you?"

Naruto did not answer as the raven-haired boy moved closer. He shut his gaping mouth and swallowed hard as Sasuke placed his hand on Naruto's chest; the pale fingers contrasted against the tanned skin. Naruto's heart beat harder in his chest and he moved his gaze from Sasuke's hand to his face.

"Is that why your heart is pounding so hard? Why your breathing is so shallow? Because you are scared?" Sasuke closed the space between them, pressing up against the blond.

Naruto shook his head, he didn't even bother trying to form words. The pale hand moved from Naruto's chest, traveling up; fingers trailing the skin, leaving a fiery wake of pleasure. Sasuke traced the line of Naruto's jaw and finally brought his hand to rest at the back of his head, fingers nestled in the messy blond locks. Sasuke leaned in slowly, his eyelids drooped and lips parted. Naruto felt the slight tug of his head being brought forward and sucked in a breath.

Their lips met and slowly melded into each other. Sasuke slipped out his tongue, rubbing it against Naruto's bottom lip, coaxing the flesh to part. The blond pulled back slightly, inhaling another ragged breath. His lips were tingling, having been seared by Sasuke's tongue. Naruto plunged in to another kiss, this time allowing Sasuke full access to the moist cavern of his mouth. The dark-haired boy dominated the kiss, his probing tongue gliding over Naruto's. The blond pushed back the invading muscle and took his turn to explore Sasuke's mouth; he ran his tongue across the pale pink lips and slid inside. The pale boy flicked his tongue aggressively against the blond's and applied the slightest pressure as the muscle receded; Naruto felt teeth scrape gently against his tongue as he pulled back, the unexpected sensation caused him to shudder.

Having broken the kiss, Naruto lifted heavy eyelids to find Sasuke's smoldering obsidian eyes penetrating him. The intensity of the gaze sparked something in Naruto; a fire ignited by lust and fueled further by need, caused the blond to engage the pale boy more aggressively. He grabbed Sasuke by the shoulders and pushed him hard into the bathroom door.

Naruto set his sights on the hollow space just above Sasuke's collarbone. He leaned in and ran his tongue along the expanse of exposed skin, once he reached the junction of muscle between the neck and shoulder he sank his teeth into the flesh. The raven-haired boy let out a strangled moan, but he turned his head to allow the blond more access. Naruto's hands moved down the pale-boy's sides and dipped under the silky black fabric of Sasuke's shirt before rising again. Tanned fingers explored the firm muscle of Sasuke's back; he dug his nails into the porcelain skin as he began to suck on the ravaged flesh under Sasuke's neck. The pale boy arched his back, pushing his pelvis into the blond.

Naruto groaned into Sasuke's hot skin as he felt what was unmistakably a hard dick push into his own throbbing erection. His hands moved to grip the pale boy's ass and repeat the motion. Naruto rocked his own hips into the raven-haired boy as he pressed Sasuke's hard length against him again. Pale arms wrapped around Naruto's torso, giving Sasuke more support as he continued to grind into the blond.

Naruto finally released the pale boy's neck, which was now splotched with red and purple marks, and captured Sasuke's lips. He wasted no time in thrusting his tongue past the pale pink lips and into the delicious cavern. They rolled their hips in time, grinding their straining erections against one another. Naruto pulled his hands away from Sasuke's firm ass to fiddle with the front of his jeans. The dark-haired boy released an approving groan and Naruto quickly released the button, his hand trembled with excitement as he gripped the zipper.

He pulled the tiny piece of metal down, listening for the familiar and yet thrilling sound of the fly opening. He was confused when, instead of the zipping sound, he heard beeping. _Does the bastard have an alarm in his pants?_

The blond slowly and with great resistance returned to consciousness. He threw the offending clock across the room, effectively silencing the beeping. He groaned loudly as he rolled over, burying his head under his pillow. He laid in bed for a few minutes debating how he should take care of his raging hard on. _Fuck the cold shower._


	7. 4 out of 5 Guys Love Karaoke

**A/N: Glad to see everybody enjoyed that last chapter - I knew things were moving slower than most of you would like so I thought I would be nice throw you a bone (ha). This chapter is longer than any of the previous, I just couldn't find a good place to break it up. I hope you like it! A****s always, t****hanks for the reviews, keep them coming and I may reward you with a double chapter post. XD**

**Warnings: We all want lemons, but sometimes the juiciest fruit is that which you wait to squeeze.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and he doesn't own "Don't Stop Believin" by Journey, consequently Sasuke doesn't own "Tear You Apart" by She Wants Revenge**

* * *

To say that Naruto was distracted would be a horrendous understatement. Every time he closed his eyes he saw the bathroom scene unfolding; the image of Sasuke grinding against him seemed to be burned into Naruto's retinas. He completely zoned out during his two morning classes and as lunch approached he found himself becoming increasingly nervous.

Naruto picked up a sandwich at the cafeteria and headed to a familiar three story brick building, ivy crawling up the east wall. The blond made his way up to the third floor and traveled down the hall, glancing at the posters and announcements plastered all along the corridor. He came to an open door near the end of the hall and rapped lightly on the frame. Sakura's eyes flitted up from the stack of papers on her desk and she smiled softly.

The blond flopped down on the firm couch in front of the desk and heaved a sigh. Sakura smirked while she continued to mark on the quizzes she was grading. Naruto sighed again, this time staring at the pink-haired girl. She rolled her eyes and laid her pen down, turning her gaze to the boy on the couch.

"I think I might be attracted to Sasuke," Naruto confessed, laying back on the couch.

Sakura was amused by the statement, like it was this sudden epiphany, "What makes you say that?" she asked leaning back in her chair.

Naruto shrugged and put his hands behind his head. Sakura gave him a moment to collect his thoughts and finally he answered, "I had a kind of sex dream about him last night."

"Really?" the tone in her voice was instantly more interested.

"We didn't actually do it or anything, but we made out in my bathroom," the blond blushed lightly recalling the dream.

Sakura smiled at the flustered boy, "this sure is a 180 from the 'Sasuke's such a bastard' attitude you had when you first met him. Things must be progressing with him."

Naruto pursed his lips in thought, "yeah I guess. He seemed to warm up to me after the day he walked me home, you remember? During that storm?" Sakura nodded, "he is still kind of a dick, but he is actually interacting with me now...so yeah, I guess things are better," the blond hesitated for a moment, his expression turning somewhat serious, "he is coming with me to karaoke tonight."

Sakura gave the blond a look of surprise, "like a date?"

Naruto's eyes slitted into a glare for a moment before he relaxed his features; unlike last night, the question was innocent.

"No, it isn't like that," the blond huffed, "I don't even know if Sasuke swings that way."

The pink-haired girl gave him a bemused look. She found it interesting that Naruto seemed to have no gay-dar and presumed this was because he never felt the need to truly pursue anybody; therefore he never developed a need to read others' sexuality.

"You have hit on guys without knowing? How is this any different?" she inquired, while she shuffled the papers on her desk.

Naruto sat up on the couch and unwrapped his sandwich, "I don't care if I piss of some guy at a party," he took a bite and chewed a few times before continuing, "but I am stuck with Sasuke for the rest of the semester, and I don't want to be miserable for the next three months."

Sakura considered the answer, "so you are experiencing some trepidation because you are afraid of your classes being awkward?"

"Wouldn't you?" the blond replied with his mouth full.

Sakura shrugged, "well of course, but I can't imagine _you_ actually holding back. I guess I just wonder if there might be more to this."

Naruto shook his head, "maybe," he furrowed his brow and stared into his sandwich, "I guess I kind of feel like it took some work to get him to not be a total asshole to me, you know?" he looked back at Sakura, "I don't want to fuck that up."

Sakura got up and moved from behind her desk, sitting down next to the blond, "Naruto, don't take this the wrong way," she paused and reached out to touch his knee, "I think you are finally ready for a real relationship," her tone was more condescending than she had intended.

Naruto recoiled on the couch, "what the fuck is _that_ supposed to mean?"

Sakura kicked herself mentally, this was not the time or place to be having this conversation, she waved her hand dismissively and smiled, "never mind," she laughed nervously, "just be yourself tonight, if he is interested in you I am sure you will see it."

* * *

That pep talk had been less reassuring than Naruto had hoped and he continued his day with a pit of anxiety growing in his stomach. He managed to get out of work even later than normal and rushed home to get ready. The last thing he needed was to have Sasuke knocking on his door before he was ready – again.

His shower was markedly cooler than normal and Naruto sighed repeatedly as he shook impure thoughts from his head. Standing naked in front of his closet, the blond pondered what to wear. He reached out for a blue button up shirt and paused, _no button ups_ he told himself. He settled for a red t-shirt with a vintage graphic. He moved to his dresser and pulled out green polka dot boxers and a pair of faded jeans. _Casual_, he told himself as he dressed. He glanced at the clock, it was quarter to seven.

He moved to the living room and tidied up a little – throwing out old beer bottles and empty ramen cups. Naruto nearly jumped out of his skin when the doorbell rang. He stared uneasily at the door for a few seconds before moving.

Taking a deep breath he opened the door, "hey."

It was all he had planned on saying to the pale boy and Naruto was glad he had the foresight to prepare that much because he mouth dried immediately once his eyes settled on Sasuke. He stood for only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity as he gawked. Sasuke stood in his normal stance, hands shoved into his pockets, weight shifted to one hip. His long bangs brushed forward, hiding his dark eyes, the back protruded slightly – not full spikes, but ruffled. His normal palette of black and white was punctuated by the red shirt he wore under his open white button up. Snug black jeans clung to his long legs, terminating in a crumpled flare above his sneakers. Careful not to appear too casual, the pale boy also sported a black blazer.

Naruto blinked quickly and grinned, "come on in, I just have to grab my jacket."

"Hn," Sasuke mumbled as he crossed the threshold into the house.

The blond moved to his closet and mentally chastised himself for ogling his chem partner. He grabbed his favorite jacket, it was black leather with parallel orange and white stripes that traveled from the collar down the sleeves. Swiping his keys from the table next to the door he nodded to the pale boy.

"Alright let's – wait," Naruto paused and grabbed his own ass, Sasuke's eyebrow twitched as his eyes followed the movement, "okay yeah I got my wallet, let's go."

The two walked out into the twilight and headed down the street towards the campus. Between Naruto's house and the university there was about 4 square blocks of little bars, restaurants and shops – all catering to the college crowd. The blond frequented a lot of them but Finnigan's was by far his favorite. If he wanted a quiet drink the pub upstairs had good beer and decent food, and if he wanted a little more action he just had to go downstairs where every Friday and Saturday night the dance floor was teeming with hot bodies rubbing against one another.

Tonight, however, was a Tuesday and the pheromones had had two days to clear out. Tuesday was the night you came to Finnigan's to have a good time and make an ass out of yourself, which was exactly what Naruto had planned on doing. He expressed these and other thoughts to Sasuke as they walked down the street.

"So here we are," Naruto exclaimed as he opened the door and ushered the pale boy inside.

Sasuke looked around unimpressed, of course this wasn't his first time here – but Naruto didn't know that. He followed the blond to the back of the bar and down a narrow set of stairs. Sasuke noted how different the club looked with the lights on. The walls were painted a crimson red and the dance floor had about 10 small round tables placed about it. The stage was set up with a monitor and a projector for the night's event. A few people were standing at the bar and a few more had already taken their drinks to the tables. Sasuke grimaced slightly when he saw Naruto approach the bar but was relieved to find that the bartender was also unable to recognize him.

"Hey there blondie," Ben said as he pulled a glass off the shelf, "the usual?" Naruto nodded and grinned as he received his beer, "who's your little friend?" the bartender gave a nod to the raven-haired boy next to Naruto.

Sasuke immediately glared at the statement but did not bother to respond. Naruto looked up from his beer and over to the pale boy who was clearly irritated, "ahh," the blond smiled at Sasuke then turned back to the bartender, "this is Sasuke, he is my chemistry partner."

Ben eyed the boy and turned to Naruto, "is that what you are calling _them_ these days?"

Naruto failed to fight down a blush, "the hell Ben?" the bartender simply shrugged and turned his attention to a new customer. Naruto grumbled to himself and turned his attention back to his beer.

"Them?" Sasuke asked dryly.

The blond choked down his beer, _fucking Uchiha doesn't miss a thing_. He flashed a disarming grin and moved to a table near the stage. Sasuke stayed back at the bar to order his own drink while Naruto sat down. He considered asking the bartender about his comment but decided against it. The pale boy finally settled into the chair next to Naruto and sipped his vodka tonic.

Naruto picked up the song book from the table and thumbed through the pages, "what are you going to sing?"

"No," was all Sasuke could manage at the outrageous question. What on earth made this guy think that Uchiha Sasuke sang? Aside from the fact that he did, quite well – but Naruto didn't know that and nothing in Sasuke's demeanor indicating an interest in participating in this activity.

"Awe, come on. What did you even come out for if you aren't going to sing?" Naruto nudged the brooding boy.

It was a good question and one that Sasuke didn't have the answer to. In fact he had spent all day asking himself why he had agreed to this. The pale boy's expression remained indifferent and he shrugged at the blond.

"Well I know what I am singing," the blond said as he stood up.

Sasuke watched as Naruto made his way to the sign up sheet and jotted his name and request onto the clip board. His onyx eyes roamed over Naruto's frame, the lines of muscle along his back were visible through the somewhat tight red t-shirt he wore, his jeans were a little baggy but they still did his butt justice. Sasuke suddenly found himself calculating the time lapse since his last sexual encounter and shook the thought from his head. He blinked rapidly before the blond returned and he took another sip of his drink.

It would be another beer and a half and one more vodka tonic before Naruto took the stage. A surge of adrenaline hit the blond as he stared out at the crowd but he did not allow his nerves to show. He flashed a smile as the familiar piano chords filled the room, a few people whistled – bolstering the blond further.

"_**Just a small town girl, livin' in a lonely world, she took the midnight train goin' anywhere"**_

He switched hands on the mic.

_**"Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit, he took the midnight train goin' anywhere"**_

As the guitar crescendoed he began to nod his head.

_**"A singer in a smoky room, a smell of wine and cheap perfume. For a smile they can share the night, it goes on and on and on and on"**_

Naruto looked down to the raven-haired boy and smiled again. Sasuke was sure the playful look was part of the performance but a small part of him wondered if it was directed at him.

_**"Strangers, waiting up and down the boulevard, their shadows searching in the night"**_

He pointed out the audience, tapping the beat with his foot. The crowd ate it up.

_**"Streetlight, people living just to find emotion, hiding somewhere in the night"**_

Sasuke was shocked as the blond belted out into the microphone. Naruto really wasn't that bad and his energy made the whole performance rather endearing. The crowd broke out in applause as Naruto finished the song, his smile growing even wider.

The blond collapsed next to Sasuke, "there, I have them all warmed up for you," he huffed and finished his beer in one drink.

"Hn," the pale boy rolled his eyes.

After a few less stellar performances Naruto excused himself from the table to take a piss. Sasuke took the opportunity to shuffle through the song book, looking for something he could sing that wouldn't give him away. It seemed to be a futile effort until he saw a selection that not only had a rather monotone tune, but also slightly scandalous lyrics. He quickly moved to the sign up sheeet to write his name down before the blond emerged from the bathroom.

Now on their fifth beer and third vodka tonic the boys had relaxed and were actually engaging in conversation. Their discussion of what exactly was up Iruka's ass (Sasuke had postulated it was Kakashi and Naruto snorted) was cut short when Sasuke's name was called. Naruto couldn't help the shocked look on his face as he watched the pale boy take the stage.

He seemed strangely comfortable on the stage, in front of so many eyes. Sasuke held the mic in both hands as the beat blared from the speakers.

"_**Got a big plan, this mindset maybe its right, at the right place and right time, maybe tonight  
And the whisper or handshake sending a sign, wanna make out and kiss hard, wait never mind"  
**_

His voice was silky and dark, as he spoke more than sang.

_**"Late night, and passing, mention it flipped her, best friend, who knows saying maybe it slipped  
But the slip turns to terror and a crush to light, when she walked in, he throws up, believe its the **__**fright"**_

Dark eyes roamed across the room, the audience seemed captivated by the pale boy.

_**"Its cute in a way, till you cannot speak, and you leave to have a cigarette, your knees get weak  
An escape is just a nod and a casual wave, obsessed about it, heavy for the next two days"**_

His body swayed as he bobbed his head.

_**"It's only just a crush, it'll go away, it's just like all the others it'll go away  
Or maybe this is danger and you just don't know, you pray it all away but it continues to grow"**_

He closed his eyes as he sang the chorus, the words flowing out of him.

_**"I want to hold you close, skin pressed against me tight  
Lie still, and close your eyes girl, so lovely, it feels so right"**_

_**"I want to hold you close, soft breasts, beating heart  
As I whisper in your ear"**_

Midnight eyes opened and his gaze met Naruto's with an intensity that caused the blond to swallow hard.  
_**  
"I want to fucking tear you apart"**_

It had to be his imagination, but Naruto couldn't help but feel that those lyrics were targeted at him. He felt his stomach flutter at the thought as Sasuke's onyx orbs burnt into him and he returned the intense gaze with his own foxy smile. He knew he shouldn't read too much into it, but he just couldn't help himself. When Sasuke finally returned to his seat Naruto was teetering dangerously on the line between friendly and flirting.

A tanned hand reached out and gripped Sasuke's shoulder, "that was awesome, I don't know why you put up such a fight," Naruto's hand lingered for a moment before he finally let go.

The raven-haired boy allowed a small smile to settle on his lips. Despite his earlier apprehension, Sasuke was actually having a good time; he was even a little saddened when they finally left.

* * *

The two made their way back to Naruto's house, the blond allowed himself to wobble a little as they walked – if Sasuke complained he would blame it on the beer. The blond's knuckles brushed against Sasuke's leg as they moved, dark eyes shifted to the side and watched as Naruto smiled, his cheeks tinted pink. Sasuke didn't mind as they walked in silence, he was actually surprised that an inebriated Naruto was quieter than a sober one. What he didn't realize was that Naruto had made a conscious effort to keep his mouth shut, fearing what he might say in his buzzed state.

They arrived at Naruto's house and the silence turned slightly awkward as they stood in the driveway. Sasuke leaned against his car and Naruto smiled as he shifted his weight nervously from one foot to the other.

"So..." Naruto's eyes darted from Sasuke's face to the ground and back as he spoke, "did you have a good time?"

Sasuke shrugged, but the small upturn of his lips spoke volumes. Naruto grinned and shoved the raven-haired boy lightly. Sasuke turned his gaze to the blond and considered reprimanding him for the action but decided to let it go.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Sasuke said as he moved to open the car door.

Naruto reached out again and held the boy back by his shoulder, "Sasuke?" the pale boy froze, "are you cool to drive?"

Sasuke turned slightly and smirked at the blond as he hit the button to unlock his car. Three vodka tonics in as many hours was nothing he couldn't handle, but for a fleeting moment he considered staying with the blond. He quickly dismissed the thought, "I'll see you tomorrow Naruto," he repeated.

Naruto's grin shrunk some, but remained present as the pale boy climbed into his Audi. He gave a brief wave as Sasuke backed away. Once the tail lights had disappeared the blond moved to his door. He was a little surprised to find it unlocked but when he entered the house to find Kiba and Sakura sitting in the living room he immediately understood.

Naruto glanced at his watch, it was quarter to eleven, "you guys are here awfully late."

Sakura smiled and lifted a bottle to her lips, "what? Kiba and I thought we could indulge ourselves in some of your beer while you were gone."

"Uh huh," Naruto said dubiously as he plopped down next to Kiba on the couch.

"But since you are back..." she grinned, "how did it go?"

Naruto's face became more animated as he recalled the evening, "it was fun. I sang some Journey and was awesome of course–"

"Of course," Kiba and Sakura simultaneously interjected.

Naruto smiled, "even Sasuke sang and he was really good," the blond paused as he replayed the image of Sasuke singing in his mind, "he looked really good too," Naruto muttered, "with his blazer and tight jeans – he looked like he had been plucked out of a magazine."

Naruto's blue eyes deepened as he pondered the pale boy. His expression suddenly changed when a new memory moved forward to replace the image of Sasuke on his doorstep.

His brow furrowed, "Fucking Ben the Bartender!" he suddenly exclaimed, Sakura's eyes widened at the outburst and Kiba simply took another swig of his beer, "so I introduced Sasuke as my 'chemistry partner' and the fucker was all like 'so that's what you are calling them these days'!" he paused for dramatic effect, "he said 'them' like I am bringing a new fuck to the bar every night."

Sakura and Kiba exchanged glances and Kiba gave a slight nod to the pink-haired girl as if to say _this is all you_. Sakura moved from her chair to the couch, sitting down next to Naruto.

She pursed her lips in consideration before speaking, "you know Naruto, you may not bring somebody new to the bar every night, but I bet Ben has seen you pick up quite a few people. I mean, you aren't exactly shy," Naruto glared at her statement and she gave a nervous smile, "Kiba back me up here, how many hook ups did Naruto have last semester?"

Kiba raised his brow in surprise, "uhh..." he appeared to do some calculating in his head, "I don't know maybe half a dozen? There was the girl from the library..."

"The waiter from that Greek place," Sakura added.

"I am pretty sure he hooked up with Gaara last semester," Kiba counted the growing number on his hand.

"I don't know if you can count Gaara, they hook up every semester," Sakura teased.

"Okay guys I get it," Naruto tried to interrupt but his friends were on a roll.

"There was the blow job he got in the girl's bathroom at Finnigan's," Sakura recalled, tapping her chin.

"And the one he gave in the guy's bathroom at Finnigan's," Kiba smirked and held his hand out showing they were now at five.

Naruto leaned back and smiled as his friends recalled his conquests, "I love Finnigan's," he chuckled, "but this isn't fair guys, I didn't have sex with any of those people," Sakura gave him a dubious look and he added, "last semester."

Sakura chuckled before continuing to make her point, "no, but you don't have to fuck everybody to be considered kind of... well... a slut," she postulated, "you can be a third base slut," Naruto gave her a questioning look, and she continued, "I will admit that I am a hand job slut."

Kiba cocked his head at this, "really?"

Sakura blushed lightly, "yeah...not for every guy, but I would say a good 4 out of 5 dates will end with my hands in his pants," she turned back to the blond, "the difference between you and me Naruto, is that I take time to pick out a guy and make him buy me dinner first. You make your selections in about 5 seconds and then hit on them just as fast, but that is just you being a guy – your MO is instant gratification. That is how we are programmed, it's nature."

Naruto turned to Kiba who simply shrugged, "sounds good to me."

"Remember earlier today when I told you I thought you were ready for a real relationship?" Sakura asked, her expression was soft and reassuring, Naruto nodded, "this is kind of what I was talking about. You go through life experiencing all these superficial encounters, you don't try to make a deep connection. And I am not even just talking about sex. Tell me Naruto, how many people have you slept with?"

Naruto hesitated for a moment and looked over at Kiba, he was used having these conversations with Sakura alone, "three."

"Who were they?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest as she leaned back into the cushion.

"My high school girlfriend was the first, we were going to be leaving for different schools and agreed to not go off to college as virgins. Gaara was the second but we had both agreed that was an accident–"

Kiba snorted, "what? You accidentally shoved your dick up his ass?" Sakura shot him an icy glare, and he stopped laughing immediately, "sorry, go ahead Naruto."

"And last year there was that intern at work," the blond finished his list.

"Do you see what all these people have in common Naruto?" Sakura asked, not expecting him to answer, "they were all people that you _knew_ wouldn't be around for long. Your high school girlfriend that you weren't going to see again after you left for college, Gaara who is always leaving you and an intern who you knew wouldn't be around for more than six months."

"What does any of that have to do with Sasuke?" Naruto asked, slightly irritated at Sakura's analysis.

Sakura reached out and stroked the back of Naruto's neck, she knew physical contact always helped to relax him, "I can't tell you why you keep people at a distance Naruto...well not yet anyway" she smiled, "but I think you are finally at a point where you are looking for something more. That is why you are nervous around Sasuke and why you are so sensitive about Ben's comment."

"Hmpf," Naruto closed his eyes and leaned his head back as Sakura continued to message the tension out of the muscle.

"Come on Kiba," she said, standing up abruptly, "if you buy me a late dinner I just might show you what 4 out of 5 guys already know," she winked at him as she made her way to the door.

"Really?" Kiba scrambled to his feet.

Sakura opened the door and smiled at him, he approached her cautiously. She offered him another coy look as he moved out the door, "no not really you pervert!" Sakura slapped him across the back of his head as she closed the door behind her.

Naruto was left on the couch laughing. Eventually his laughter subsided and he was left in silence, his smile was replaced by a small frown as he considered what his pink-haired therapist had told him. He didn't want to admit just how right she was.

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**A/N: So there you have it folks, Naruto is going to try and take it slow with Sasuke! You better settle in, because this could take a while.**

**...ahhhh I kid, I kid. He may think that is what he wants - but you know...best laid plans and all. In fact things might get a little out of control here shortly, we will just have to see.**


	8. Coming Out and Falling Over

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! This is a shorter chapter but it offers some important developments. Enjoy!**

**Warnings: Nothing to shield you eyes from in this chapter - the lemons are still ripening.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto...and frankly I think it is rude I have to be reminded of that every chapter XD

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The rest of the week was relatively uneventful and Naruto was grateful for that, he needed time to process. The 110 minutes he spent with Sasuke over the remainder of the week had been surreal; Naruto was acting like a school girl – blushing and stuttering, fiddling with his jacket and tapping his pencil incessantly.

In the previous weeks sitting next to the raven-haired boy, Naruto had never noticed how often Sasuke placed his pen on his lips while concentrating. 17 times on Friday – 17 times he allowed the cold brushed steel to rest against his pale pink lips and 5 of those times the end of the pen slid past the parted flesh to rub against the edge of an incisor. God, how Naruto wished he was that pen, or more specifically a part of his anatomy was that pen.

If Sasuke noticed the difference in the blond he had the decency to ignore it. In fact, he seemed to be unaffected by the time they had spent together and Naruto was surprised by how upsetting he found Sasuke's cavalier attitude. The blond tried to convince himself that nothing had happened, that flirtatious glances hadn't been shared, but he couldn't shake the thought.

Luckily by Monday the torrent of emotions had quelled and Naruto felt much more like himself. As the class settled in for their lesson the two boys shared a normal banter. Naruto asked Sasuke about his weekend and received a nondescript grunt in response, the blond ignored this and proceeded to tell the pale boy all about the barbeque he'd had on Saturday.

Once released from the lecture the two made their way up to the second floor, they took their time strolling down the hall and up the stairwell. Upstairs, they made their way through the labyrinth of halls that led to the lab. They rounded the second to last corner and Naruto smirked as a familiar man approached. Naruto only knew this man as "TKE guy" - he didn't even know for sure if he was part of the frat, but that was where they had met.

"Hey stud," Naruto winked at the well built brunet.

Sasuke's eyes widened and he turned to give a bewildered look to the blond, Naruto's mischievous smirk caused the pale boy's eyebrow to raise even further. He turned his gaze to TKE guy, and noticed the man's initial shock was quickly replaced by a venomous glare.

"Fuck off fag," the man spat out as he passed the blond.

Sasuke stopped moving, and turned his body to allow his icy glare to follow the man. His onyx eyes slitted and he clenched his fists at his side.

"Don't worry about it," Naruto offered a reassuring smile to the raven-haired boy. Sasuke looked to him with an uncharacteristically confused expression, "I met him at a party last year," the blond went on to explain, "he was completely trashed and hit on me, I turned him down and he got pissed. The altercation got a little physical, but I got in a few good punches before I got kicked out."

Apparently this explanation did nothing to clear things up for the pale boy as his eyebrows continued to twist into a knot, "so what? He calls _you_ a fag to mask his own insecurities about his sexuality?"

Naruto pursed his lips in contemplation, "well _that_...and my willingness to fuck a guy."

The blond grinned, secretly pleased with himself, and continued down the hall. Sasuke stood for a moment before following behind Naruto.

"Huh..." Sasuke muttered.

Naruto paused to allow the dark-haired boy to catch up, "you didn't get the hint when I told you that Taka guy gave me a boner?"

Sasuke sputtered, he hadn't thought about that comment since last week, "well I thought you were joking."

"How many straight guys do you know that would make that kind of joke?" the blond looked over to Sasuke who was still a little flustered.

The pale boy didn't respond, rather he shot an irritated glare to the tanned boy, "so...you are gay?"

Naruto appeared thoughtful, milking the moment for all it was worth, then he shook his head, "No I am..._flexible_," he turned to face Sasuke, he wanted – needed – to see his eyes, "I am a fan both a hard cock _and_ a perky pair of tits. How 'bout you?" Naruto continued to walk backwards as he awaited the raven-haired boy's response.

Sasuke felt strangely uncomfortable. He had never been one to publicly disclose his sexuality, however he felt no shame in it either. Even when he was a boy he knew – but nobody ever bothered to ask, so he never bothered to say it out loud. Most people, he had found, preferred to make a move on him with blind assumptions; he supposed this was because they didn't _care_ about him, they just wanted him.

Obsidian eyes darted down and then up again to meet Naruto's suddenly serious gaze, "I like – shit Naruto!"

It was too late, the blond backed into Iruka as he was entering the lab with a box full of beakers. Sasuke watched as the two collided in slow motion, the box heaving out of the TA's grasp while the two fell to the ground. Iruka landed on his back, Naruto had managed to roll during the fall and he landed face down on top of the TA. The blond broke his fall with his hands, which slammed to the ground on either side of Iruka's head. Sasuke grimaced as he heard the crashing of glass and witnessed the final position of the two men. Naruto was on top of Iruka, legs straddling the TA's torso, their faces so close that blond bangs tickled Iruka's face.

Nobody moved for a few seconds, shock still coursing through their bodies. Finally Sasuke snapped back to reality and rushed to pull the blond up. He grabbed a shoulder and brought Naruto up enough to allow Iruka space to move.

The TA glared at the blond, then the box of shattered glass and back to the blond. Naruto gave an apologetic smile and bit his lip, awaiting the barrage of curses. The blond was surprised when Iruka simply stood up and brushed himself off; he watched as the TA moved to the box and muttered his curses quietly to himself as he picked it up and walked back to the storage closet. Naruto allowed a nervous laugh to escape once Iruka was safely out of earshot.

"Are you okay?" Sasuke asked as he examined the blond.

"Yeah," Naruto said standing up, he rolled his wrists and grimaced as they popped, "I think I'll live."

The blond stopped brushing off his knees when he realized the not only was Sasuke much closer than normal, but the boy was still touching him. He stood up straight and turned his head slightly to look at the outstretched arm and followed the appendage to the pale hand that still held on to his shoulder. His lips tweaked into a small smile and his eyes rolled lazily to the owner of the slender fingers that clung to him. Sasuke swallowed as he retracted his hand, Naruto had that intense look in his eyes again and it made Sasuke's stomach flutter.

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**A/N: So, just in case there is confusion TKE is a frat (Tau Kappa Epsilon) - I had friends that always warned against going to TKE (pronounced "teak") house - said their parties always got a little out of control. I hope I don't offend, just pulling from my own experience here.**


	9. Study Session

**A/N: BONUS CHAPTER! I promised an extra post if I got reviews and reviews I got - so here you go. Since my last chapter was so short it seemed appropriate.**

**Warnings: I know, I know - 9 chapters and still no true lemons! But hey, I have read a lot more for a lot less and I promise it is coming (hehe) soon.**

**Disclaimer: I want Naruto...and he wants Sasuke...sometimes you just don't get what you want.

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Naruto wasn't sure if he should be excited or terrified after the lab section finished. Iruka had announced the final assignment that was due by the end of the semester and it was going to require _a lot_ of work outside of class time; that meant _a lot_ of face time alone with his lab partner.

Under any other circumstance the blond would have considered this a blessing – getting to spend _quality_ time with a sexy fucker like Sasuke. But Naruto was still not sure how the pale boy would respond to his advances and the idea of being alone with him was nerve racking. Something told him that he did not deserve such an easy in with the raven-haired boy; he had broken way to much shit for Iruka to make such an enticing offer – karma was not on his side right now.

Nonetheless they made arrangements to get together on Friday and plan out their project. They were to meet at Naruto's place at seven o'clock. That would give Naruto enough time to get home from work and Sasuke would have time to practice with the band – not that he shared that piece of information.

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_It's officially fall_, Sasuke thought as he watched a dead leaf tumble across the street. He glanced at his watch – 7:12 pm, he shifted impatiently against his car and shrugged deeper into the warmth of his jacket.

"Finally," he said to himself as he saw the approaching headlights.

Naruto sped into his driveway and just barely put the car into park before barreling out of the door, "I am so sorry, have you been waiting long?" Sasuke shrugged as he moved towards the blond, "don't you need your bag?" Naruto asked as Sasuke approached.

The pale boy stopped and processed the question, he had actually forgotten that was why he was here. This was not actually a social call, they were _supposed_ to be studying. He turned back to his car and grabbed his stuff from the front seat. Naruto waited for Sasuke to return before continuing to his door. He noticed a sudden rush of movement from behind the curtain and smirked as he turned the unlocked handle.

Naruto threw his bag onto the chair that was currently occupied by Sakura and shut the door after Sasuke. Kiba looked up from his spot on the couch and offered a cheesy smile to the blond who simply rolled his eyes.

"Sakura, Kiba," he nodded to each them, "Sasuke," he gestured to the raven-haired boy.

Sasuke looked to each of them and then to Naruto, "you have roommates?"

"No," Naruto glared, "I have a mooch and a nosy bitch – you can figure out which one's which."

"Whatever, asshole," Sakura rolled her eyes and the three broke out in laughter.

"Put your bag down anywhere and have a seat. You wanna beer?" Naruto moved to the kitchen.

Sasuke placed his bag down next to the door but remained standing, "No."

Kiba turned to the pale boy, not bothering to hide his scrutinizing stare. Sasuke stared back, noting the boy's unkempt brown spikes and red-marked cheeks. He felt another set of eyes on him and shifted his gaze to Sakura. Sasuke shouldn't have been surprised at how attractive Naruto's friends were, good looking people had a tendency to group together.

"What?" he finally said, the four eyes on him becoming a bit too uncomfortable.

"You're right, he is kind of a dick," Kiba called out to Naruto, eyes never leaving the pale boy.

"Kiba!" Naruto and Sakura chastised simultaneously.

The brunet grinned as he finally turned away from Sasuke. Naruto returned to the living room and sat down on the couch next to Kiba. Sasuke stood for another moment before reluctantly moving to the adjacent chair.

"Sorry about them," Naruto gestured to his friends, "I made the mistake of telling them that we were getting together to study and they apparently took that as an invitation to come over and gawk at you."

Sasuke grunted and nodded, eyes shifting between the two. He suddenly felt as if he under a microscope, or more familiarly a spot light. It was as if these two were judging him, but not as a person – more like a suitor. The tension only increased when Naruto's phone rang, he pulled it from his pocket and looked at the caller ID.

"I have to take this, you guys talk amongst yourselves until I get back," he stood and moved away from the couch, turning back he smiled, "I'll give you a topic to discuss – me."

Sasuke watched as Naruto's blond head disappeared down a hall. A look of discomfort was quickly replaced by one of annoyance.

"So what are your intentions with our Naruto?" Sakura's green eyes narrowed slightly, Sasuke returned the look and Sakura barked out a laugh, "I'm just fuckin' with you."

Sasuke's eye twitched but he mustered a small grin. _This is fucking painful_ he thought, and as if the idea was painted across his face Sakura began to speak.

"It really isn't that bad is it? We are nice, funny and intelligent people. Give it a shot, I bet you will find casual conversation is less painful than a swift kick in the balls," she paused, "unless...are you into that? 'Cause I don't think idle chit chat can beat a round of rough sex."

Sasuke languidly raised an eyebrow but did not answer, he didn't even know where to start.

"What the little deviant over there," Kiba nodded to the pink-haired girl, "means, is that talking isn't hard. See, you say something, then we say something back. Lather, rinse, repeat and before you know it, you are engaged in a real conversation."

Sasuke weighed the pros and cons and decided it would be easier to just participate, "so who do you think Naruto is talking to?"

Sakura smiled, pleased to see the raven-haired boy make an effort, "probably Jiraiya."

"Jiraiya..." Sasuke looked to the side as he tried to recall the name, but the damn blond talked so much and he actually listened to so little.

"Naruto's dad," Kiba clarified.

"Adoptive," the pink-haired girl corrected and Kiba shrugged.

"How old was Naruto when he was adopted?" Sasuke queried further.

Sakura looked up as she recalled the fact, "about seven or eight I think."

Sasuke's brow furrowed and his eyes shifted, something about that didn't sound right, "wait I thought his adoptive father named Naruto, what was his name before?"

Sakura cleared her throat nervously, "I don't really know all the details, but I know that Jiraiya named him after the adoption was finalized."

Knowing that the details from Naruto's childhood were better left for the blond to explain, Kiba decided to changed the subject, "what about you? What brought you to the states? Did your dad get transferred or something?"

Sasuke's dark eyes met Kiba's briefly before he looked away, "my parents died, my..." he paused and his voice turned dark, "my guardian brought me here."

Kiba immediately shifted his gaze away, over to Sakura, before returning to face the boy with apologetic look, "sorry Sasuke, I didn't mean..."

"It's fine."

Sakura immediately went into psychiatrist mode, "so you have no family, that must have been very hard growing up."

Sasuke turned his attention to the emerald eyes that stared at him, his voice was cold and distant, "don't patronize me."

Sakura blinked several times before leaning back in her chair, and tilting her head slightly as she analyzed him; she couldn't help herself. She saw quite clearly the barriers Sasuke had put in place and there was no way she could get through them – not in months, let alone one night. If nothing else she was now even more impressed with how close Naruto had been able to get in such a short amount of time.

As if on cue the blond reappeared from the hall, "sorry about that guys..." he slid his phone back into his pocket and gazed into the living room, there was an obvious uncomfortable silence and his three guests appeared extremely relieved to have their host back. He scratched the back of his head nervously, "what is going on in here?"

Sakura quickly spoke up, "oh nothing, Kiba was just telling us about something that happened at work today."

Kiba blinked rapidly before turning to the blond, "a dog pooped out a beer bottle cap," he stated blandly.

Naruto made a slightly disgusted face, "well that is certainly not the worst work story you have told."

The brunet forced out a chuckle, "well, I suppose we ought to leave you boys to it," he stood and stretched, then smirking at Naruto added, "studying that is."

Sakura rolled her eyes and Naruto glared at Kiba. The spiky-haired boy gathered up his and Sakura's coats, throwing hers on her lap before sliding his own over his shoulders. The two moved to the door and said their goodbyes.

"We should try to do this again sometime Sasuke," she offered him a smile but his expression didn't falter.

She shrugged and waved to the blond as she exited behind Kiba. Halfway across the lawn Kiba turned around and made a few lewd gestures to the blond before getting hit squarely in the shoulder. If Naruto was to understand the body language correctly Kiba was giving Sasuke his seal of approval and subsequently giving Naruto permission to engage in oral sex – whether he was to receive or perform remained unclear. Naruto grinned and lifted his chin at the boy, affirming he understood the message, before shutting the door.

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**A/N: So I work for a vet and we totally had a dog come in with a bottle cap in its stomach. It was crystal clear on the x-ray, you could see the ridges perfectly, it was pretty epic - I swear if it was turned just a little more you could have read "Heineken". We induced vomiting, the dog puked it up and everybody went home happy - except the husband, whose wife had asked him repeatedly to not leave bottle caps on the floor. XD**


	10. I've Never

**A/N: SUPER BONUS CHAPTER! So I couldn't find a good place to split this chapter and it felt too long as one chapter. So I decided to just post them back to back. I hope everybody has enjoyed this epic 3 chapter posting day. Please let me know what you think and as always enjoy!**

**Warnings: You have been good, you can a have a little boyxboy action - but only a little, these lemons still aren't ripe enough yet.**

**Disclaimer: It is a good thing I don't own Naruto, because if I did nobody else would get to have him. He'd be mine, all MINE. Mwahahaha**

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Naruto shook his head, laughing at his friend's antics, and turned to face the pale boy still sitting quietly in his living room.

"So those are a your friends?" Sasuke said dryly, relaxing back into his chair.

"A couple of them. I hope they didn't give you a hard time, they don't really understand boundaries very well," Naruto said as he flopped down on the couch.

He stretched out on the cushions, one leg on the ground, the other extended towards Sasuke. Naruto laid his head back on the arm of the couch and arched his back to stretch, his chest thrusting upward and hips back. Sasuke's tongue darted out to moisten his suddenly dry lips as he watched the blond get comfortable. Having finally settled in, Naruto released a satisfied groan and slowly lifted his head to face the pale boy. Only Sasuke wasn't so pale, he was actually a little flushed, a rosy pink dusting his cheeks.

"Are you okay Sasuke?" Naruto cocked his head to the side. Sasuke couldn't be sure if this action was_ supposed_ to be cute or simply curious, but there was no doubt in his mind that it was cute.

The pale boy swallowed discreetly before replying, "I think I will take you up on that beer."

Naruto smiled, "excellent."

The blond moved to the kitchen and Sasuke followed. Sasuke admired the tanned boy as he took a seat at the island in the center of the room. Naruto bent down as he pulled two bottles from the back of the fridge, and Sasuke arched an eyebrow briefly.

"Nice," the pale boy whispered to himself.

"What?" Naruto turned to face Sasuke and noticed the pink in his cheeks had deepened.

"I said you have a nice house," the raven-haired boy recovered, "do you rent it?"

Naruto slid a bottle across the island and gave Sasuke a questioning glance before answering, "no Jiraiya bought the place after I moved here, he thought it would be nice for me to get out of the dorms. It was a total dump and Jiraiya bought it with the agreement that I would fix it up."

Sasuke looked around the room rather impressed, "you have done a good job."

Naruto beamed at him, "Thanks! I have been working on it for the last year and it is really just now presentable."

"So you said you moved here, where are you from originally?" Sasuke asked as he sipped his beer.

"I used to live back east. I moved here to go to school," Naruto leaned against the opposite counter.

"Did you come out here with friends?" Sasuke was on a role with this newfangled conversation concept.

"Naw, I moved out here all alone. That was kind of the idea, I wanted to start fresh you know – no history." Naruto looked down as his smile shrunk some.

Sasuke noted the change in the blond, but pressed further anyway, "you always have a history, it follows you everywhere. You just wanted to meet people that didn't know more about you than you wanted them to," he pursed his lips, "I can understand that."

Naruto's face turned even more serious and he took a long drink. He didn't want to go down this road with Sasuke tonight, hell he didn't know for sure if he wanted to go down this road with anybody, ever. He knew how deep and dark his memories were and he had the feeling that a person doesn't get to be like Sasuke without a few painful experiences. But if they were going to start opening up he would at least make it interesting.

"Hey Sasuke, have you ever played 'I've never'?" the blond's demeanor suddenly changed.

The raven-haired boy gave a quizzical look in response. Naruto smiled and turned to a cabinet behind him, he pulled out a bottle that Sasuke immediately recognized as tequila.

"It's easy, you say something that you have never done and if I have done it I have to take a shot, if you don't tell the story that goes along with it you have to take another shot," Naruto pulled out two shot glasses from another cabinet and placed one in front of each of them, "I'll even let you go first."

Sasuke's eyes had slitted into a glare but there was no real anger behind it and Naruto called the bluff as he filled the glasses. Sasuke rolled his eyes and huffed, then turned his head as he considered his question. The trick was setting the right tone for the game, he didn't want to ask a lame question but he also didn't want to raise the stakes too fast.

"I've never...stolen anything before," Sasuke said with a smirk.

Naruto lifted the glass to his lips and tilted his head back, the alcohol burned his throat as it traveled down, "before I was adopted, I stole a camcorder from my foster father."

Sasuke waited for the blond to continue and when he was offered no further explanation he simply rolled his eyes. Naruto smiled and lifted his finger to his chin, tapping while he thought about his question.

"I've never gotten a speeding ticket," Naruto stated with a grin. This wasn't his first time playing and he knew how to work the game. The goal is not only to hear some embarrassing stories but also to get your opponent completely trashed in the process – the best way to ensure that was to come up with questions you think you already know the answer to. Naruto had noticed Sasuke's sporty TT and it was a safe assumption he took advantage of it's speed on more than one occasion.

Sasuke sighed and took his shot, he coughed and shivered with the strength of the drink, "I have had 6 tickets and 3 warnings since I started driving 5 years ago. I've never broken a bone."

Naruto replenished Sasuke's glass and grabbed his own, he frowned a little before taking the shot, "Ahh...alright," the blond exclaimed as he slammed the glass down, "I broke my arm when I was six and my nose when I was seven."

"Were you an accident prone child?" Sasuke asked with a light chuckle.

"Not really, but there were a few incidents in foster care," after a pause Naruto cleared his throat, "anyway...I have never spent more than 30 bucks on a haircut."

Another shot for the raven-haired boy, "I haven't paid less than $80," he took a moment to allow the burning to dissipate and decided he was done with the foreplay – it was time to get a little more bold, "I have never fucked a girl."

Naruto smirked, _things are going to get interesting now_, and he slammed back his shot, "I have fucked two girls – the first was only once and the last was regularly for about 3 months. However..." he paused, a mischievous glint appearing in his eyes before continuing, "I have never _been_ fucked."

Sasuke tensed and pursed his lips before reaching out for his glass, he paused when the cold rim touched his lips and tweaked his eyebrows suggestively before taking the shot, "I prefer bottom."

Naruto nodded and grinned, obviously pleased with the answer. He refilled the glass and waited for the next question. Sasuke's eyes had turned into a light squint as he appeared to be scrutinizing Naruto's features.

"Where'd your scars come from?" the pale boy asked, the words were relaxed but not quite slurred.

Naruto forced a smile, "that is not how the game works."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and rephrased, "I've never had three parallel scars on each cheek."

Cobalt eyes darkened immediately as Naruto's expression turned into an outright glare. He pounded back his shot and grabbed Sasuke's glass roughly, swallowing it's contents. Unable to hide his irritation Naruto moved out of the kitchen. Shocked by the behavior, Sasuke hopped off his stool and stammered after the blond. The sudden movement caused his head to spin and Sasuke soon found himself leaning into a wall.

"Oi, Naruto," he called out while he struggled to regain his composure.

The blond turned to find a suddenly drunk Sasuke clinging to his kitchen wall. He walked back to the raven-haired boy and wrapped his arm around a slim waist, allowing Sasuke to shift his weight from the wall to the blond. Naruto walked Sasuke to the couch and sat him down before taking a seat next to him.

"Sorry Sasuke, it's just...well it's not a good story," the blond looked apologetically at the pale boy.

Dark eyes shifted from Naruto to the ceiling and back, "s'okay, I have not good stories too."

Naruto smiled and stretched his arm across the top of the couch, his fingers landing inches away from Sasuke's shoulder. He wondered just how drunk Sasuke was, he had seemed fine a few moments ago and now he was practically falling over and using incredibly poor grammar.

"You are quite the light weight there Sasuke. What was that? Half a beer and like 3 shots?" Naruto teased.

Sasuke attempted to glare but the expression had lost its edge, "I don't usually throw back tequila shots."

Naruto shrugged and relaxed into the couch a little more. He noticed just how close his fingers were to Sasuke's face and he fought the urge to reach out and touch him. The blond focused so on hard holding back that he didn't even notice he had subconsciously began biting his bottom lip. Sasuke, however, did notice. He watched as the full pink lip was chewed repeatedly, receiving an occasional reprieve when Naruto darted his tongue out to moisten the flesh.

The silence was dragging on and Naruto suddenly became aware of his surroundings – the air had become thick and Sasuke's obsidian eyes were searing into him. He released his lip and watched as Sasuke was simultaneously released from his trance. Naruto blinked lazily and his fingers twitched anticipating the action he hadn't yet decided to make.

"Hey Sasuke," Naruto's voice was low, dripping with lust.

"Yeah?" the pale boy responded, almost a whisper.

"H-How drunk are you?" the blond's voice was almost pained.

"Not too drunk," Sasuke smirked as his gaze moved around Naruto's body.

In an instant they collided. Naruto's antsy hand had finally moved to Sasuke, pulling his head forward as Naruto leaned in. There was a surge of electricity when their lips touched, the tingling sensation inciting further contact. Naruto had captured Sasuke's upper lip, giving the pale boy the opportunity to suck on that bottom lip that had entranced him. Sasuke nibbled the flesh and was rewarded with a moan.

The blond shifted his position, bringing his legs around to straddle the raven-haired boy. He gripped the back of the couch as he leaned down into the kiss. His tongue slid across the pale lips and Sasuke parted them slightly to allow further access. Naruto dove in, expertly wrapping his slick muscle around Sasuke's. The pale boy rolled his tongue in response and after a short battle Naruto retreated, giving Sasuke the opportunity to explore his mouth.

As the dark-haired boy slid his tongue into Naruto he grabbed the blond's hips. With some force, Sasuke pushed the tanned boy down, grinding him into the pale boy's lap. Sasuke swallowed Naruto's moan and ground the boy down again, this time rolling his own hips up to match the friction. Naruto broke the kiss and pressed his forehead against the pale boy's, panting slightly. He continued to grind down in rhythm with Sasuke, their arousal becoming more pronounced with each rock of their hips.

"Fuck... Sasuke," Naruto groaned, throwing his head back as he slowed down.

"Okay," the pale boy's smirk was audible.

Naruto's grinding finally stopped and he groaned again, this time sounding more aggravated than aroused, "no I mean..._fuck_," he sounded exasperated, "we can't do this."

Sasuke gave the blond a bewildered look as Naruto sat back in the pale boy's lap, "and why exactly can't we do this?" It was Sasuke who sounded irritated now.

Unnaturally blue eyes, filled with an odd combination of lust and regret, blinked at the pale boy, "I think I _really_ like you."

"You're right, that is an awful reason to fuck," Sasuke retorted dryly.

The lust was slowly draining away, being replaced by an emotion akin to affection, as Naruto spoke, "I'm serious Sasuke," his eyebrows turned up in something similar to a plea, "you are more than a piece of ass – a fine, tight, piece of ass – to me. I don't want you just for tonight... I want this to last."

Sasuke gave no reply, he shifted his gaze away – unable to match the intensity of the boy on top of him. He had no idea what to say, so he just stared impassively at the wall.

Naruto sighed, a slight frown forming on his lips, "I understand if you don't feel the same way, but I thought you deserved to know that I don't think I can do this with no strings attached."

The blond lingered for a moment, hoping for some response. When he received nothing he nodded, inhaling deeply through his nostrils as he stood up. He straightened his shirt and smoothed his pants down against his receding erection. He moved away from the couch and back down the hall, Sasuke's onyx eyes followed him as far as they could without turning his head. Once Naruto was out of sight, the raven-haired boy exhaled deeply. He struggled to keep up his stoic facade as he heard the blond approach again. Certain he was properly composed, he turned to face the blond.

Naruto had a blanket and pillow in his arms and a timid smile on his face. He offered the bedding to the Uchiha, who took it silently. The blond let his arms fall to his sides and stood for a moment, lips pursed as if he was about to speak, but he turned away instead.

"See you in the morning," Naruto called out over his shoulder as he retreated down the hall, "maybe we can actually get some work done."

* * *

Sasuke laid wide awake in the dark room, not because he wasn't tired or that the couch wasn't comfortable enough. He stared up, the moonlight casting shadows across the ceiling, and thought about...a lot of things.

He thought about Naruto and what he had said. He thought about his last relationship and found himself coming up empty, so instead he thought about the last time he had an impulse to fuck the same person more than once. He thought about Karin and how she had complicated his life with desires similar to the blond's. He thought about his family and his fucked up childhood. Finally a thought occurred that forced him to get up – the realization that he needed to pee.

Stumbling out of the bathroom Sasuke looked down the hall towards the couch and then down the other end, where the corridor terminated at what he presumed to be Naruto's bedroom door. He turned his head a few more times before deciding to head towards the door. Sasuke padded quietly down the hall and slowly turned the doorknob.

He slipped into the room silently, his eyes were well adjusted to the dim light and he maneuvered through the strange room with ease. Sasuke's eyes moved over the figure of Naruto in his bed – sprawled out across the mattress, the blankets had been kicked halfway off the bed exposing his bare torso. Sasuke watched as the chest, bathed in a soft silver light, rose and fell in a steady rhythm.

"Naruto?" he whispered from the wall adjacent to the bed.

The blond inhaled deeply but did not stir otherwise. Sasuke rested against the wall and watched the blond sleep for a few minutes before speaking again, "I don't know what you expect me to say," he mused aloud, "I don't know if I am capable to giving you what you want."

The raven-haired boy sighed and shifted his gaze around the room, he wasn't really sure what he was doing here. He continued to think out loud, "I don't get _involved_ with people, it's just too messy. You have your shit and I have my own shit and it gets too complicated. Besides it's not like I am lonely, I can arrange for some company whenever I feel like it. It's easier that way, like you said – no strings attached. That way nobody needs to be burdened with my past and I don't have to pretend to give a damn about theirs."

At some point Sasuke had gone from trying to convince a sleeping Naruto to trying to convince himself. He had gone his entire adult life certain that he had figured out the best way to live his life – keep people at a distance. _Don't form any bonds you can't easily break_. That was the rule he lived by and it had seemed to work out just fine as long as he didn't dwell on it.

He had school and his band, that took care of his normal social interactions; then there was the occasional one night stand that tended to his physical needs. There were a few times that he would actually call a guy after they hooked up, but those were rare and usually didn't last more than a few nights. But that was better wasn't it? To keep things cut and dry – get in, get off, get out.

Sasuke sighed as he watched the blond. _Who am I kidding?_ He thought and then returning to his vocal ruminations, "if I really believed any of that I wouldn't be here right now. I would be fast asleep in my own bed. Because if I didn't want something with you I would have dismissed what you said and left. I would have just gone back home and not given it a second thought," he huffed at the confession, "but what did I do? I fucking stayed on your couch, and I couldn't fall asleep because you got me thinking about all kinds of shit I don't want to think about."

Not that it mattered, because Sasuke still didn't know how any of this worked anyway. So even if he admitted he would like to have something more substantial with Naruto, it didn't make it possible.

"Obviously nothing can happen, I mean I can only talk to you while you are asleep for fuck's sake," the pale boy glared at Naruto's sleeping figure. He huffed again and ran his fingers through his silky black hair, exhaustion finally setting in.

Sasuke pushed himself off the wall and walked slowly towards the bed. His eyes traveled across the expanse of Naruto's chest, down his abdomen to where the blankets covered him and back up. His gaze finally settled on Naruto's face, he looked serene as he slept – his features relaxed and lips parted slightly. Something deep inside Sasuke wanted to reach out and touch him, but the raven-haired boy managed to suppress the urge.

After a few more minutes of contemplation Sasuke left the room. He made his way back to the couch and laid down; closing his eyes, he willed the confusing emotions away and finally slipped into a dreamless sleep.


	11. Weekend Revelation

**A/N: Thank you to everybody for your reviews! I am happy you all enjoyed the triple post. There is only one today, but I might have a present in store for you with the next post.**

**Warnings: Just the tiniest bit of boyxboy action this chapter and if you can't deal with that then you don't want to know what I have in store for the future.**

**Disclaimer: Not only do I not own Naruto, but Sasuke does not own "Mein" by Deftones**

* * *

Sasuke woke to the smell of bacon. His eyes opened slowly and took in his surroundings, after a moment of confusion he remembered the previous night. He groaned as he sat up, partly because his back was stiff from a night on the couch but mostly because he really did remember what had happened not 12 hours ago.

He shuffled into the kitchen to find a surprisingly chipper blond tending to a couple of frying pans on the stove. He resumed the seat he had taken the night before and offered a greeting to the blond.

"How are you feeling Sasuke?" Naruto asked as he turned his back on the cooking food.

The pale boy grunted and looked to the side quietly smacking his mouth. Naruto smiled and handed him a glass of orange juice. Sasuke offered a small smile of appreciation before taking a sip.

"I thought we could eat a little and then get right to it," Naruto stated as he turned back to the food.

Sasuke furrowed his brow for a minute, trying to process what the hell the blond was talking about. Then it dawned on him, the whole reason he was with Naruto – his chemistry partner – was to prepare for their final project. Sasuke grunted in agreement and took another sip of orange juice, he would much rather be drinking a cup of strong black coffee.

* * *

After breakfast the two started in on their lab project. Iruka had given the class a set of possible experiments, each group was to pick their project from this list and then determine how to proceed. The method was completely up to the students to figure out as was the interpretation of their results. It gave each group several ways to fuck up and Naruto suspected that was the point. The boys discussed their options and decided on which project they would do, then they began to map out how they would set up their experiment. Nearing their second hour of work they decided to take a break.

Naruto leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms up over his head. He brought them down slowly when he realized Sasuke was watching him rather intently. Naruto's brow furrowed with slight confusion, why would Sasuke look at him like that when he had made his lack of interest in the blond so clear the night before?

Sasuke read the expression expertly, he knew exactly what the blond was thinking, "Naruto," he began, then turned his gaze to the table between them, "I'm sorry about– "

"Don't Sasuke," Naruto cut in, he had meant for the interruption to sound much nicer than it did.

"No, really. I don't think you understand," Sasuke continued, "I just...I can't."

"Can't what?" Naruto pressed, curiosity now in his voice.

"I'm not the _relationship_ type. I appreciate what you said last night and I thought _you_ deserved to know that I am just too fucked up to give you what you want," Sasuke offered the abridged version of his previous "conversation" with the blond.

"Too fucked up?" Naruto repeated dubiously.

"It's like I said last night, everybody has a history and mine..." he paused for a moment and finally brought his eyes up to meet with Naruto's, "mine has just left me scarred."

Naruto's lids dropped into a disbelieving glare, "_your_ history left you too fucked up? _You_ have scars?" Naruto's tone was shockingly cold, "let _me_ tell you about scars and then you can tell me you are too fucked up to try to have a relationship."

Sasuke began to protest, realizing the faux pas he had made, but Naruto continued, "no I think this might clear a few things up for you _Sasuke_," the pale boy did not like the venomous way Naruto said his name, "remember last night when I told you about the video camera I stole and the broken bones I had when I was a kid? Well, my foster father got more than just a government stipend out of me– "

"Naruto, don't...you don't have to," Sasuke tried to interrupt.

"No? You wanted to know last night, what has changed?" Naruto spat, he was leaning forward, white knuckle fists on the table.

Sasuke turned his gaze away again and slumped, feeling defeated, "I'm not strong enough," he closed his eyes and grimaced, "I just can't allow myself to get close to anybody."

Naruto's expression softened, he could appreciate that answer. After a moment he allowed his body to relax and leaned back in his chair again. "That is just not healthy Sasuke," good God he sounded like Sakura.

"Maybe not, but it is how I have gotten through life so far," Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest as he replied, feeling a bit defensive.

"I may not be one to talk. I mean, I haven't really allowed very many people close to me either, but even I know that there is a benefit to forming some kind of bond. You can't possibly expect to go through your whole life keeping everybody at a distance and still be happy," Naruto tried to sound more supportive than condescending.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, _happiness_, he thought bitterly, "I am more concerned with surviving than being happy."

Naruto frowned at that statement. His life may not be fulfilling, but at least he was content – or at least he thought he had been until he met the Uchiha and everything got turned upside down. He couldn't imagine going through life just waiting for the day to end.

"I think we have gotten a good enough start on this project for Monday," Sasuke said standing up, "I'm going to head out."

Naruto looked down at his feet while the pale boy gathered his things. He finally stood and met Sasuke at the door. The pale boy already had his hand on the doorknob and Naruto reached out, holding the hand in place and prohibiting Sasuke from walking out before he had one last chance to speak, "my offer stands. If you would like to try making a connection...I mean I am damaged goods too you know?"

Sasuke pursed his lips and opened his mouth to speak but shut it again before anything came out. Naruto let his hand slide off the pale fingers around the doorknob but he did not move out of doorway. He reached out and grabbed Sasuke's chin with his index finger and thumb, tilting the pale face to his. Naruto's eyes were shimmering like sapphires before the lids closed and he pressed his lips into the raven-haired boy's. Sasuke's eyes widened for a moment before slipping shut. There was nothing hasty or frantic about this kiss – not like the night before. This was soft and gentle and strangely comforting to the dark-haired boy. Naruto released Sasuke's lips and the pale boy leaned in to recapture the lost flesh, he held on for only a moment before breaking the kiss. Naruto backed away from the door, allowing Sasuke to open it and slowly exit. The raven-haired boy did not look back as he walked to his car.

* * *

Sasuke didn't go home right away, he drove around the city – hard core screamo blasting from the car speakers – trying to evade the thoughts and emotions that were demanding his attention. Even when his midnight black Audi pulled into his parking space he still refused to go home. Instead he walked down the street, looking for a place he could go that would prohibit him from being alone with his thoughts. The raven-haired boy approached a familiar high scale sushi bar and decided he was hungry. The hostess seated him in a booth across the room from the bar and he watched people filter in and out while he ate.

You would never know the emotions battling inside Sasuke from the expression on his face. He looked impassively around the room, but inside anger and loneliness and frustration and fear were slowly tearing him apart. He noticed when a young man entered the restaurant, taking a seat at the bar. The short brunet had to be no more than 18; he wore stone gray slacks a muted green button up shirt and a scarf. Sasuke considered approaching the boy, and proving to himself that the blond hadn't made such an impression on him. His gaze shifted away, he didn't want to admit his feelings might be true.

Anger began to swell inside the pale boy, _who the fuck is Naruto to tell me how to live my life?_ Just because the blond idiot couldn't enjoy an empty fuck didn't mean Sasuke had to change who _he_ was. _Nobody tells an Uchiha how to live_. If only that were true...but that idea was among the many things he didn't want to examine about right now.

He stood abruptly, abandoning those thoughts as he moved towards the bar. He sat down on the stool next to the young boy and ordered some hot sake and two cups. He poured a cup for himself and another which he slid to the boy next to him. The brunet looked down as the white porcelain vessel was pushed towards him, his gaze moved up to meet sultry onyx eyes.

"I'm Sasuke," the raven-haired boy's voice was soft and deceivingly warm.

"Konohamaru," the boy smiled as he took the drink.

* * *

Naruto spent the remainder of his Saturday doing yard work and ignoring phone calls. He labored into the twilight, welcoming the exhaustion that hit him like a wave. His sore and tired muscles mirrored the pain he felt deep inside – in his mind and in his heart. When he collapsed onto his bed that night he had only managed to remove his shirt and shoes, he fell asleep halfway through unzipping his pants.

Sakura crept into his room early Sunday morning, tired of waiting for the blond to return her calls. She smirked as she regarded his form on the bed. He was spread out across the mattress, his half undone pants had pulled his boxers down dangerously low on his hips and she noted the short blond curls that peaked up just above the waistband.

She cleared her throat rather loudly and chuckled as the blond shot up from his sleeping position. Naruto glared at her for a moment before collapsing back onto the mattress. Sakura turned and left the room, Naruto heard the sound of running water down the hall and stumbled out of bed. Leaning against the wall he moved towards the bathroom and admired Sakura as she sat on the rim of the bathtub, hand stroking the water.

The pink-haired girl turned and smiled, "It's nice and hot," she got up and walked out of bathroom as Naruto moved to enter, "just the way you like it," she winked at him.

Sakura leaned against the wall next to the open door while Naruto stripped. She smiled when she heard him hiss and sigh, sinking into the steaming water. After a few minutes the water was turned off and she heard the sound of the shower curtain drawing closed. Sakura reentered the bathroom and closed the door, trapping the steam in the small room. She pressed her back against the door and slid down until she was sitting on the cool tile floor, staring at the bathtub that was obscured by a frosted curtain. She could still make out Naruto's tanned outline, but his features were indecipherable.

"So let's have it," she said smiling, but her expression sank when Naruto groaned, his head disappearing beneath the water.

* * *

Sasuke awoke Sunday morning with a pounding headache. Two nights in a row he had gotten drunk, it wasn't something he was used to. He looked over to his side and frowned at the empty expanse of mattress.

Slowly the pale boy made his way to the kitchen, he rested his face against the cold brushed steel of the refrigerator before pulling it open to get a bottle of water. He moved to the couch and collapsed into cool leather. It felt so good against his overheated body and he moaned softly as he sank into it further. He took a long drink and stared out the glass wall, he glared at the city scape that was bathed in a soft golden glow of the rising sun – if there was any justice in this world, today would have been dreary and overcast.

The clattering sound of his phone against a glass table sent spikes of pain shooting through Sasuke's head. Instead of just pressing 'ignore', the pissed off Uchiha threw the device across the room – silencing it as it shattered into several pieces. Sasuke was rarely ever hungover, because he rarely ever got drunk. But last night Sasuke got shit faced.

* * *

It all started with that tight little piece of ass – Konohamaru. Sasuke had no problem coming on to the boy and the brunet was receptive. Sasuke offered him a few more drinks before suggesting they head over to his loft. The boy happily accepted the invitation and the two left the bar together as the sun dipped behind the city skyline.

They had walked the few blocks to Sasuke's building in silence. The raven-haired boy watched as his companion for the evening played nervously with his scarf. Briefly Sasuke wondered if this was the first time the boy had ever been picked up at a bar, but he let the thought go – he didn't care, why should he?

After they had arrived at Sasuke's loft things became increasingly complicated for the raven-haired boy. Konohamaru was more than willing and Sasuke quickly realized this was not the kid's first time. Once alone, the brunet became a little more aggressive than Sasuke had anticipated. Konohamaru pinned the pale boy against a wall and began to kiss him ravenously. He wasted no time plunging his tongue down Sasuke's throat and despite his smaller stature was able to dominate the kiss.

Sasuke should have been aroused by the boy's eagerness but he felt nothing – no warmth pooling in his groin, no tingling through his skin. Every time his eyelids slid shut he saw two shimmering sapphire eyes staring back at him, the last image of Naruto before he had left.

"Sasuke?" the confused voice brought him back to the present.

He looked down to see a perturbed Konohamaru looking up at him, his hand down the front of the pale boy's pants, fingers wrapped around a soft dick. Sasuke turned away from the brunet, trying to stir something up, but nothing happened. He slammed his head back against the cold wall and pushed the brunet off.

"That's it?" Konohamaru hissed. Sasuke shrugged and moved to the door, opening it and gesturing for the boy to take his leave, "fucking tease," the angry brunet spat as he stormed out.

Within an hour Sasuke was the proud owner of an empty vodka bottle. He was ranting curses and disjointed accusations into the emptiness of his loft. At some point he decided it would be a good idea to record his angry musings and by the end of the night he had left a mutilated notebook on the glass coffee table.

* * *

So now, on this beautiful Sunday morning, Sasuke thumbed through the crumpled, torn and scribbled on pages of his notebook. He turned it around and around as he flipped the pages, the thoughts were written in haste and then tossed away over and over again. Some of the phrases actually waxed a little poetic while other were simply curses. He frowned at the various names he had scribbled in anger.

_**Fuck Itachi**_

Turn the note book:

_**I've looked outside  
But I've never wandered out**_

Flip the page:__

_**Fuck Naruto**_

Turn the note book:

_**I'd like to pull you into me  
Intercept you, in between**_

Turn the note book again:

_**But I will never walk without, outside  
That way, I'll always stay away from you**_

Flip the page again:

_**Fuck Orochimaru**_

Turn the notebook:

_**I've looked inside  
But I never wandered in **_

Flip the page again:

_**I'd like to pull you into me  
Intercept you, in between**_

___**But I will never wander in, inside**_  
_**That way, I'll always stay away from you **_

The last section did not have any names attached, but Sasuke knew exactly who it was he had been referring to. _Fuck you mom, fuck you dad_, he thought bitterly before tossing the notebook back on the table.

* * *

**A/N: I have found some discrepancy with the chorus of Mein, this is what I hear when I listen to the song and it makes more sense for the story...so apologies to any Deftones fans that don't agree with me here.**


	12. Reasons for a Cold Heart

**A/N: I hope everybody liked that last chapter, it got fewer reviews than some of the others. This chapter should answer some of your questions, not all, but some.**

**Warnings: Nothing to really warn about, maybe the tiniest bit of angst - but not really**

**Disclaimer: I own Naruto as much as you can own a ray of sunshine - that is to say, not at all.**

* * *

Sasuke arrived to class later than usual on Monday; while he had spent Sunday recuperating, he still had difficulty getting out of bed today. He paused at the doorway, eyes narrowing at the sight of the blond sitting in the chair next to his. He didn't know whether he should be relieved or pissed that Naruto still wanted to sit next to him.

The raven-haired boy took his seat and quietly pulled his things out from his bag. Naruto gave a hesitant glance and was met with onyx eyes, their gazes lingered awkwardly before turning away. Naruto thought of breaking the silence but could think of nothing worth saying that hadn't already been said. He sighed softly as he wrote, his mind was elsewhere and it reflected in his poorly constructed notes.

Sasuke cleared his throat softly, causing the blond to look over. The pale boy made no attempt at eye contact, he simply continued to look forward impassively. Naruto's eyes dropped and his gaze traveled back to his notebook. His breath hitched when he saw the perfectly formed letters written on the back of his notes.

_**Hey**_

_Hey_

Naruto tried to contain himself but he felt his temperature rising as he caught Sasuke writing something out of the corner of his eye.

_**Lunch after lab?**_

Naruto tried to wait, tried to play aloof but it just wasn't in his nature. Excitedly he responded.

_My place or campus?_

Sasuke's muscles relaxed slightly, relieved that the blond had excepted his invitation.

_**Campus**_

* * *

Apparently most students hadn't taken the time to work on their projects the way that Naruto and Sasuke had, and after only 30 minutes of work Iruka excused the boys, commenting that their proposed experiment was "satisfactory". Naruto fidgeted and Sasuke stared at the sidewalk as the boys walked towards the cafeteria. The both got sandwiches, Naruto bought a soda and Sasuke took a water. The two moved to a more secluded section of the student union, a place more suited for conversation.

That conversation did not come easily though and the two boys ate in silence for a few minutes. Naruto was surprised when his pale companion spoke first.

"You might be right," the simple statement seemed to cause the Uchiha pain as he spoke.

Naruto cocked his head slightly, "about?"

Sasuke huffed and scooted down in his seat, folding his arms in front of his chest, "I shouldn't push people away just because I am scared. It is a cowardly way to live."

Naruto nodded and took a sip of his soda, "so what are you going to do about it?"

Sasuke refused to meet Naruto's eyes, focusing instead on the straw that rested between his lips, "maybe I can tell you something about my past, something that might explain a bit about why I am...this way."

Naruto leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table and bringing his right hand up to cradle his chin. He looked at the pale boy expectantly, his deep cobalt eyes inviting the boy to speak.

"My dad was an engineer for a pharmaceutical company in Japan. He had an associate that worked very closely with him – Orochimaru. After my parents died – "

"Your parents died?" Naruto lifted his head, shock written plainly across his face.

Sasuke had forgotten the blond was not in the room when he had admitted that piece of information to his friends. He nodded and continued, "my father named Orochimaru my guardian in the event of my parents' death. To this day I don't understand why. Orochimaru was a cold and uncaring man, he didn't have a family and didn't seem interested in having one. He was driven, obsessed even, with his work. He cared for my essential needs – you know, kept me fed and sheltered. He sent me to good schools and made sure I received good marks. But he never engaged me emotionally, he treated me more like a dog – a dog he didn't really want."

Sasuke sighed and took another drink of his water, "I was eight when I went to live with him and he moved us to the states. I lived like a prisoner, he never let me go out and I wasn't allowed to have people over...after a while it didn't bother me. Then, when I was 13 and starting to get a little more rebellious, we had our only real conversation."

His eyes turned cold with the memory, "I don't know if this lecture was simply his way of trying to control my behavior or if it was truly what he believed, I think it was probably a little bit of both. I know he resented me, having been burdened by me when he clearly had no interest in caring for others," he paused, seeming to consider the idea – but this was not the first time Sasuke had questioned Orochimaru's motives, "he told me that as an Uchiha, the _last_ Uchiha, it was my responsibility to become successful and honor my family name. He told me that people were the enemy of my success and caring for them made me weak. He said they would distract me from my objectives and ultimately leave me anyway – like my parents had. And all the pain I felt and the time I _wasted_ mourning them would only serve to derail my success."

"But I couldn't do it," Sasuke sighed as his eyes returned to Naruto's, "I couldn't _avoid_ people, I mean they are fucking everywhere," he smirked, having amused himself, "so I decided to do the next best thing – keep them at a distance. I never let anybody close enough to do any real damage – I don't let people know about my past and I don't bother to learn about theirs. I don't engage in mindless distractions like parties or dates and I don't give people any indication I might be interested otherwise."

Naruto's eyes were soft and he let Sasuke's words marinate before he spoke, "and now you think that might have been a mistake?"

Sasuke pursed his lips, "not a mistake, but a misinformed decision. People certainly can be a distraction and they _can_ hurt you. But I am starting to wonder if caring for others truly is a sign of weakness, or if maybe I'm..." he paused, lowering his eyes to the table, _not like them_. He had not really finished formulating that idea yet – it would be better to wait until he was sure before he finished that thought, "besides who is there to tell me when I have succeeded? I have no family and I don't _care_ about what other people think, the only person that is able to qualify my life is me – so why shouldn't I be able to create my own terms?"

A small smile tugged at Naruto's lips, "it sounds like you have given this some thought."

Sasuke smirked, "I got pretty drunk Saturday night and apparently I am much more open with my feelings just before I black out."

"I'll have to keep that in mind," the blond grinned as he leaned back in his chair. Naruto's expression changed as a thought came to mind and he looked at Sasuke, his eyes becoming more serious, "how did your parents die?"

Sasuke's eyes shifted uncomfortably and his nostrils flared as he tried to maintain an uncaring facade. Naruto could see the pale boy stiffen in his seat and he immediately regretted asking the question.

"It's fine Sasuke. We don't have to talk about it if you can't..." his voice trailed off when Sasuke's eyes turned to him. Naruto wouldn't have been surprised, in fact he'd expected, to see a frigid glare; but when he looked into Sasuke's eyes he saw a raw pain that shocked him silent.

It became apparent to Naruto that Sasuke's guardian was only part of the story, and from this reaction the blond deduced that the calloused bastard was the pleasant part – which was a disturbing thought. Naruto's gaze moved across the table, as he searched for something to say. He groaned when his eyes fell on the clock on his cell phone and he realized he had to head to his next class.

"Hey, Sasuke I have to get to class but I want to continue this conversation," his azure eyes looked up hopeful, "can you meet me outside of Webster Hall in like an hour?"

Sasuke pursed his lips and looked down as he contemplated the invitation. He brought his eyes back up and nodded curtly. Naruto grinned widely and grabbed his stuff off the table. He threw away his trash and lifted his bag to his shoulder.

"see you later," his smile grew just before he turned to leave.

* * *

Sasuke waiting around for Naruto was becoming a pattern that the Uchiha did not much appreciate. He finally lifted himself off the stair railing when he noticed students beginning to exit the building. A shock of spiky blond hair caught his eye and moved lithely towards Naruto, careful to avoid touching – or being touched by – any of the other students.

He approached the blond unnoticed and smirked, the pale boy leaned in closely and whispered against the back of the blond's neck, "Naruto."

A shock shot through Naruto's spine and goosebumps traveled down his arms as Sasuke's warm breath caressed his flesh. His face heated up immediately and his eyes slipped closed. He stood for a second to recover from his initial reaction before turning to grin at the raven-haired boy. Sasuke took a step back as the blond turned, creating a more appropriate distance between their bodies. He smirked at the blond, the flush on his cheeks still quite noticeable.

Naruto's blush finally receded and he threw an arm around Sasuke's neck, leading him down the stairs, "so Uchiha you wanna do a little job shadowing?"

The pale boy raised an eyebrow as he continued to walk, a tanned arm wrapped around his back, fingers gripping his shoulder firmly. Naruto continued to lead him across the campus and eventually away from the university all together.

"Are you taking me to work with you?" Sasuke finally asked.

Naruto laughed, "how astute Sasuke."

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**A/N: there is a little bit of Sasuke's back story, you will just have to wait for the rest - he is not quite ready to bare his soul.**


	13. Scars

**A/N: A second helping of back story! This time, lets learn a little about Naruto.**

**Warnings: Some rather dark themes in this chapter, nothing graphic but some readers may find it disturbing (in fact all readers _should _find it disturbing, but some may be upset). **

**Disclaimer: There is a reason why I don't own Naruto

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Konoha Applied Research was an impressive building, or at least Naruto thought so. It stood three stories tall, the first floor was circular and divided into for sections, the top two floors were square. The entire building was covered in windows tinted a light blue, Naruto loved the way the building seemed to sparkle in different hues throughout the day. The inside was white, bright and sterile. They entered through the receiving section of the first floor, where deliveries were made. The other sections included the public office, corporate office and the paternity lab.

Naruto strolled up to the reception desk and beamed at the pale girl that sat on the other side. She gave a small smile to the blond and shifted her gaze nervously to his companion.

"Hinata, darling," Naruto's voiced oozed sweetness and Sasuke fought the urge to gag, "I need a visitor's pass for my friend here. He is going to be graduating soon and he is interesting in interning in the pharmaceutical department."

The timid girl nodded, her blue-black hair falling in her face. She tucked the strand behind her ear and handed the blond a clip board. He hastily filled it out and slid it back to her, glancing back over to Sasuke with a smile. His demeanor was totally different around this girl, he talked softer and moved with more grace. Sasuke wondered if that was how he was around all girls.

Hinata handed over a temporary badge and another folder, "you have a pretty light load today so it probably won't be that interesting." Her gaze moved from the blond to Sasuke and back.

"Oh that's okay," he grinned at her and turned to the dark-haired boy, the grin turning into more of a smirk, "I am sure we won't get bored," he moved his attention back to the receptionist, "give me a call if anybody needs anything."

He moved away from the desk and motioned for Sasuke to follow. They stood in front of the elevator for a moment, waiting for the doors to open. Naruto turned to the pale boy and lifted the lanyard over his head, Sasuke ducked slightly allowing the blond to slide it over his head and down his neck. Naruto rested his hands on Sasuke's shoulders, the badge hanging down between his arms.

The doors opened and the blond quickly turned to face them. The two entered the empty elevator and Naruto punched the button for the third floor. The blond rocked back and forth on his feet as the elevator glided up. Sasuke looked down at his badge, _"Visitor" _written in bold across the front and his name written in tiny letters below, at the bottom was an an acronym.

"ANBU?" Sasuke asked looking up at the blond.

Naruto nodded, "the Allied National Biologic Union. Konoha Applied Research is a subsidiary of a national network. The lab is operated independently, but ANBU technically owns it."

Sasuke dropped the badge as the elevator stopped and the two boys stepped out into the hall. Like the outside, the inside was covered in floor to ceiling windows, each lab was completely visible to the corridors that ran between them. Naruto turned and headed down the hall that terminated at one of very few actual walls. He waved his badge in front of the door and was rewarded with a beep, he opened the door and ushered Sasuke in.

"This is it?" Sasuke sounded surprised and a little disappointed, "I think the elevator was bigger."

Naruto shot him a glare, "its not the size," his expression turned into a flirty grin, "its what you do with it."

Sasuke rolled his eyes as he squeezed behind the desk. Naruto tossed the folder Hinata had handed him onto the desk and bent down to turn on his computer. Sasuke felt the back of his neck warm up and he licked his lips unconsciously, he quickly averted his gaze before his reaction grew any stronger.

"I have to make a few rounds, do you want to stay here or come with me?" Sasuke shrugged and gestured for the blond to go ahead, "I shouldn't be more than 15 minutes."

Naruto made his rounds between departments and returned, true to his word, just shy of 15 minutes later. A frown formed on his lips as he entered the apparently empty room, it wasn't like there were many places to hide. Directly in front of the door was Naruto's desk and to the right of the door was the narrow passage used to get behind it, against the far wall file cabinets sat in either corner. All told his "office" was about 10 feet by 15 feet. Naruto moved around the desk and his frown disappeared when he noticed a foot peaking out from behind it.

The raven-haired boy was sitting against the wall, reading a text book. He looked up as Naruto sat down on the adjacent wall, laying his book in his lap and pulling out his ear buds. Naruto raised a brow as music blared from the tiny speakers, _how is Sasuke not deaf?_ The pale boy silenced the music and turned to face the blond.

"So what is next?" Sasuke shifted against the wall.

Naruto brought his knees up to his chest and his elbows up to rest on them, hands dangling between his legs, "now... I think I owe you. Ask me anything," Sasuke appeared apprehensive, he shifted his gaze away from the blond, "come on, you shared something with me – it's only fair I tell you something personal about myself."

"That isn't why I told you about Orochimaru," Sasuke stated coldly.

Fearing he may have offended the pale boy, Naruto quickly replied, "No, no, no Sasuke, that is not what I meant," he waved his hands in apology, "I thought that since you shared something with me you would like me to tell you something about myself. You know, exercise your new found interest in human interaction."

Sasuke snorted, but maintained his focus on the wall in front of him. After a moment he pursed his lips and spared a glance over to the blond, "tell me about your scars," Sasuke forced his dark eyes to meet Naruto's.

The blond offered a small smile, he had prepared for this, "first a little bit of background," he cleared his throat, "my parents died when I was five but I wasn't adopted by Jiraiya until I was eight years old – he knew my folks and was my godfather, but there was an issue with my parents' will and he had to fight to get custody. You see, immediately after the accident – my parents died in a house fire – I was taken in by child protective services; well CPS didn't think Jiraiya was a suitable guardian, but trust me when I tell you, they have really poor judgment."

Naruto paused, his eyes moved across the floor, over Sasuke's legs and up the far wall until they finally settled on a cracked ceiling tile, "Jiraiya writes porn," Naruto stated bluntly, he moved his eyes back to Sasuke, "that is why CPS didn't just hand me over. They thought it would be in my _best interest_, if they investigated him more closely before granting custody. So they set me up with a family that already had a couple of foster kids. My foster parents – "

"Naruto, there is a delivery for you," Hinata's tiny voice interrupted through the intercom speaker.

The blond hoisted himself off the floor and picked up the phone, "thank you, Hinata," he practically purred, "be right back," his tone returned to normal as he addressed Sasuke.

A few minutes passed and Sasuke picked the text book up off his lap. He tried to focus but found himself reading the same paragraph over and over as his thoughts returned to the blond. He didn't know why, but he found the change in Naruto's demeanor around the receptionist to be infuriating. What compelled him to talk so sweetly – _did he like the girl, had he fucked her?_ More importantly though, why did Sasuke care? He supposed if he were anybody else he would be experiencing jealousy, but that was a foreign emotion – he wouldn't even know it, if that was what he felt. Nonetheless, the idea was preposterous, what did Sasuke have to jealous for? It wasn't like he cared about Naruto – just because he actually enjoyed the blond's company and looked forward to the time they spend together in their chemistry class, just because he was compelled to find any reason to touch the boy and reveled in the sensation of the blond touching him...

"Damn," Sasuke muttered, letting his text book fall back into his lap.

"Damn what?" Naruto moved back around the desk, this time settling on the wall next to Sasuke.

The raven-haired boy tried to scoot over, but there wasn't much space and he was forced to keep his hands on his lap to avoid brushing against Naruto's leg, "boring text book," he lied, "so you were talking about your foster parents."

Naruto settled against the wall and heaved a sigh. He nodded slowly before continuing, "yeah. The woman wasn't around much and when she was there I kind of got the feeling she had sort of already checked out. She was really distant and didn't interact too much with any of the foster kids. The man was quite the opposite, when I first got there he was so nice and friendly. He made me feel welcome and made sure none of the other kids picked on me."

"He really took a liking to me, always telling me I was so cute and ruffling my hair, he called me a 'pretty little kit'. He told me that I was special and that was why he was going to give me my own room, so I wouldn't have to share any of my things with the other kids – and that is when he moved me to the basement." Naruto's lips twitched as he tried to keep the frown from forming, "it was perfect. I had my own dresser and a toy box and Spiderman bed sheets...and a camcorder set up in the corner of the room."

"Then one day he came downstairs and told me he had to go to store and asked if I could entertain a friend while he was gone. He said it would be a very nice favor for me to do and I was happy to have somebody to play with," he shifted his gaze to Sasuke, "the other kids didn't much care for all the attention I got and had stopped playing with me, even talking to me. I was in a house full of kids but I was still lonely. So I agreed to entertain this _friend_."

Sasuke shifted and bit his lip as Naruto took a deep breath. Just as he opened his mouth to speak a man cleared his throat. Naruto shot up off the floor, placing one foot between Sasuke's legs and the other behind the pale boy, he turned to face the intruding technician. Sasuke looked up and watched as Naruto was handed a folder, he flipped through it's contents briefly then turned to his computer. The blond was bent over this desk as he typed and the pale boy smirked devilishly and let his hand snake up the boy's leg. Naruto gave a quiet hiss as Sasuke stroked his calf, softly kneading the muscle.

Naruto closed his eyes as he pivoted, reaching across Sasuke to pull a form out of the filing cabinet. The blond could not look Sasuke in the eye, because he knew exactly what the bastard was staring at – the rising bulge in his pants that his lab coat failed to hide. Naruto was right not to look down, if he had he would have seen the predatory gleam in Sasuke's eyes as he continued to stroke the blond's leg. Naruto abruptly cleared his throat as he handed the file back to the tech and prayed, to any god that would hear his plea, for the man to leave. The man lingered for a moment, inhaled as if to speak and then turned to exit. The blond slammed himself against the wall and slid back down to the floor. He shot a glare at the dark-haired boy who was failing to contain his laughter.

"Anyway," Naruto turned away from the pale boy who immediately stopped chuckling, "let's just say this _friend_ did not want to play army men. The details aren't necessary, whatever you can imagine and maybe even worse – that is what the friend wanted. But I didn't want to do those things and I put up one hell of a fight. I kicked and clawed and bit until finally he gave up, storming up the stairs."

"My foster father came down after a few minutes and I was huddled in the corner, I thought he came down to comfort me – he asked what had happened and I told him as best as I could, that the man tried to _touch_ me. I expected him to tell me that was wrong and that I did the right thing, but instead he looked so disappointed," Naruto paused, his eyes were distant as he recalled the event, "he said I was supposed to play with his friend, not fight. I tried to protest, I thought maybe I hadn't been clear, but that only made him more angry, he grabbed me by the hair and pulled me out of the corner. He made me stand and held tightly while he fished out a pocket knife from his pants. He pulled the blade out with his teeth and placed it against my cheek. He pushed it down and slid it across my face, telling me I had to learn to do as I was told."

"I screamed and screamed and he finally threw me down. I remember he licked the blade of the knife and smiled at me – he seemed so satisfied in my punishment. I didn't know what to do, I just started crying. I stayed in my room for at least a day, until I was too hungry and had to go upstairs. When I saw him again he acted like nothing had happened. He ruffled my hair and asked me what happened to my face, his voice was so kind and warm."

Naruto turned to face the pale boy who struggled to maintain eye contact, "I have six scars Sasuke. Six times a friend came down to _play_ with me, and I put up a fight with each one until the sixth one broke my arm. After that I stopped fighting, I was almost seven when I finally submitted – it would be another year before I got out of that house. When I was able to leave I took that camcorder with me, there was a tape in it and I'm sure there were many more out there – little keepsakes for all those men."

Sasuke swallowed, but was not able to wet his throat, his voice escaped him before he even processed what he was asking, "how many times?"

The frown Naruto had been fighting finally took hold, "I honestly don't know. I can only remember a few specific times – the first, the last and the one that broke my nose – the rest are a blur."

Sasuke looked at the blond again, he was pained to see the normally bright blue eyes so dull and lifeless. He wasn't much for comforting, having never really been comforted himself. All he could think of was what _he_ would have wanted somebody to do for him when he was young and crying about his parents. He grabbed the tanned hand at his side and held it to his chest, then wrapped his other arm around the blond, cradling him in a half hug. Naruto allowed his head to fall against Sasuke's shoulder and sighed deeply. He wasn't going to cry, he had already shed a lifetimes worth of tears. Instead he just leaned against the raven-haired boy and inhaled his scent.

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**A/N: Your past dictates who you become (for better or for worse), the obstacles you overcome make you who you are. What has happened to Naruto is essential in explaining why he is the way he is - more on that later.**


	14. Taking It Slow

**A/N: Thank you everybody for your reviews! I was a little apprehensive about that last chapter, but I am glad it was pretty well received. We will learn more about both Naruto's and Sasuke's pasts in future chapters. Now for something a little lighter...**

**Warnings: Limey scene ahead! You know you want it.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Naruto.

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Sasuke was laying on his stomach across the width of Naruto's bed, propped up on his elbows as he read. The blond was sitting at his desk with his back to his partner as he finished his lab worksheet. Naruto set down his pencil and leaned back in his chair, tipping it back as he stretched. He turned to face the pale boy on his bed and smiled as his eyes traveled over Sasuke's form.

His dark hair was particularly messy today, sections poking out in random spikes. Naruto's gaze moved over the strong shoulders and down the curve of Sasuke's spine as he supported his upper body on his elbows. His eyes moved further down to the semi narrow hips and firm ass that beckoned to the tanned boy. After lingering for a moment, Naruto continued his exploration down the long legs wrapped in typical dark denim and finally to the pale boy's feet. Naruto sat mesmerized as Sasuke stroked his left ankle with his right foot. Naruto's eyes followed as the appendage moved up and down in a constant rhythm.

Why the hell was this turning him on? _Its a fucking foot_. Naruto had decided weeks ago, after he and Sasuke had confided in each other, that he wanted to take things slowly. If he was going to attempt a _real_ relationship with this boy than he wanted to build a strong foundation.

Stupidest. Idea. Ever.

The growing frustration was driving him insane, Naruto was sure of it. All he wanted to do was bury himself deep inside the pale boy, but all he would allow himself was a little light petting while they made out. And now, as he sat entranced by the unconscious movements of the raven-haired boy, all he could think about were the many different was he wanted to wreck that ass.

His body was up and out of the chair and traveling towards the bed before Naruto had even made the conscious decision to move. He crawled onto the mattress and straddled the raven-haired boy, settling down on that delicious ass. Naruto leaned forward and nuzzled the pale boy's neck, planting light kisses just behind his ear. Sasuke shoved his text book off the bed and rolled onto his back, wriggling to get comfortable in this new position.

The sensation of Sasuke's body moving below him sent sparks flying up through Naruto's spine, causing his brain to short circuit, "I want you so fucking bad," a low voice broke out of his dry throat.

Sasuke stopped moving, his midnight eyes set in mild surprise. All the activities of the last few weeks had been initiated by the raven-haired boy while Naruto seemed determined to cut them short before things got too heated. To see the lust seeping out of those cobalt eyes and hear the desperation in his voice was something Sasuke had not anticipated.

"What?" Sasuke's tone was curious and slightly disbelieving.

Synapses continued to misfire as Naruto's body moved without his consent. He devoured the pale lips before him, sucking and biting at the flesh until he was allowed access to the hot cavern that laid behind. The blond plundered the pale boy's mouth, his tongue tangled with Sasuke's – clashing without restraint. The kiss was a hot, wet mess and when Naruto finally broke it Sasuke was left dazed, his lips swollen and moist. The blond ran his tongue along Sasuke's jaw reveling in the sharp contrast between the pale boy's sweet mouth and salty skin.

Naruto's tongue continued to travel up the sharp edge of Sasuke's jaw until it reached an ear lobe. The blond sucked and nibbled at the tender flesh, before returning his tongue to it's exploration. The slick muscle traveled up the shell of Sasuke's ear while hot panting breaths caressed the skin. Sasuke mewled softly as his body shuddered, his hips rolling softly underneath the tanned boy.

The gentle friction of two groins rubbing together sent the blond into another frenzy. He moved his lips down Sasuke's neck, kissing him ravenously until his mouth reached the junction of neck and shoulder muscles. Naruto sucked the flesh hard, pulling the muscle into his mouth. Sasuke groaned as his hands finally decided to start moving. He wrapped one arm around Naruto's torso and the brought his other hand up to tangle in golden hair. Sasuke tugged fiercely on the yellow locks, repaying Naruto for the abuse his neck was receiving. The blond responded with a growl and sank his teeth into the flesh.

Sasuke groaned, this kind of aggression was so uncharacteristic for Naruto and it was pleasantly refreshing. The pale boy strengthened his grip around the blond and pulled him closer while he rocked his hips up. Naruto released the punished flesh to allow his moan to escape into Sasuke's ear. The blond lifted his torso up off the raven-haired boy, arching his back and pressing his hips down harder. He closed his eyes and hung down his head, while he mercilessly humped the pale boy. Sasuke admired the face of the boy above him; shaggy blond bangs shielded closed eyes, scarred cheeks seared red with passion, a full, rosy bottom lip being gnawed on with uncontrolled need. Naruto was so beautiful – a lascivious beast full of desire and longing.

Sasuke brought his hand from Naruto's back to his face, cradling a hot cheek. Lazily Naruto opened his eyes, and peered through a half-lidded haze at Sasuke. Ever so slowly his overstimulated neurons calmed down until Naruto was once again fully lucid. The veil of lust lifted from his cobalt eyes and he saw the expression on Sasuke's face – he appeared content, wearing a half smile, and his dark eyes were warm with what Naruto decided must be adoration. Naruto's hips, which had been rocking at a frantic pace, slowed until finally they stopped all together.

Sasuke looked down, his gaze settling on the clothed erections still pressed firmly against one another. His eyes traveled back up to Naruto whose panting breaths were starting to become more regular. It dawned on the pale boy that this heated moment was passing and while stopping before completion would have normally pissed him off, he felt strangely satisfied. There may not have been a physical climax for either boy but something much deeper had transpired.

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Sasuke drove home in silence, something very rare for the Uchiha – but he wanted to ruminate without the distraction of music. He was still unsure of the emotions coursing through him after his hot dry humping session with Naruto. It wasn't just desire, though there had been plenty of that, it was something much more substantial. If it weren't for the glorious friction of Naruto rubbing relentlessly against his hard cock, he would have been content to just lie in Naruto's arms and let the warmth of the blond penetrate him. They shared something that couldn't quite be named, and today Sasuke found it to be almost palpable.

As he entered the lobby of his building he saw something that immediately put a damper on his mood – Karin. She was sitting patiently, legs crossed, head cradled in her hand. He did not acknowledge her as he walked towards the elevator, but that didn't stop her from moving to him. She closed the space between them quickly and stopped too close for comfort.

"What?" Sasuke asked coldly, eyes focused on the elevator doors.

"Where have you been lately?" she asked, her voice sharp.

"How is that any of your business?" he spoke through his teeth.

"Well you have missed two practices and we have a gig this weekend. I think you owe the band an explanation," she leaned in closer to him and he shot forward quickly as the doors finally opened.

"So you are acting as a representative for Juugo and Suigetsu? Well don't worry, I won't miss any more practices before this weekend," he quickly punched the door-close button and prayed that he would be able to get to his loft alone.

His prayers must have fallen on deaf ears because Karin slid through the closing doors and brushed against the pale boy as she selected his floor, "I'm also a little worried about you Sasuke. You have been more and more distant lately."

Sasuke's eyes stayed glued on the elevator's display as floor numbers lit up. The car slowed and finally stopped, settling on the top floor. The doors opened and Sasuke moved quickly to get out of the claustrophobic space. Karin followed unbidden.

"My welfare is none of your concern," he said to her curtly as he entered his apartment.

Instantly she was upon him, her hands caressing his chest, "why Sasuke? Why do you push me away? I could be so _good_ to you."

He stiffened as her hands began to move over his body, across his shoulders, down his sides and around his back. She pulled him closer and leaned in to kiss his ear – the same ear that Naruto had molested not too long ago. But when her lips brushed against him he felt no spark, his pulse remained steady and breathing calm.

"I think I know what you need Sasuke," she cooed into his ear, "I can show you how good it feels to be with somebody that cares about you."

He shrugged away from her hot breath, it felt unnatural and sticky – like a hot day in a dirty city. He didn't need her for anything. He was already beginning to understand what it was like to be with somebody that cared about him.

"Karin," he spoke patiently, trying to hide his disgust at her advances, "I don't need you."

The red head stepped back to look at Sasuke, her eyes were filled with thinly veiled desperation, "how can you be so sure when you haven't even..." her voice trailed off and her gaze moved to follow her hand as it traveled down Sasuke's chest.

She delicately bit her lip as her hand came to rest on Sasuke's groin. Her gaze flitted back up to Sasuke as she squeezed lightly, releasing her own breathy moan. Sasuke went rigid, his placid facade slowly crumbled as Karin continued her unwelcome advances. Abruptly he shoved her away and she stumbled before falling down. Her cheeks were flushed, but not with embarrassment. She looked up at Sasuke with a pleading expression but he turned on his heels and retreated to his bedroom.

He fumed silently, pacing back and forth. _The girl cannot take a goddamn hint!_ He tried to ignore her, he tried to tell her no – but she just kept coming back. _I swear the bitch won't back down until she sees __…_ Sasuke stopped pacing, a proverbial light bulb flickering on in his head. His eyes shifted around the room as he pondered the thought. _But how?_ He began to formulate a plan, his mind working out possible scenarios as he crafted his strategy.

Karin perked up when she finally heard the bedroom door open. Sasuke exited the room, not surprised to find she had yet to leave. He turned on a warm expression, the same kind he used to pick up timid guys, and moved towards her.

He offered a smile before he spoke, "maybe I reacted too hastily, I think I just need time to process this," he gestured between the two of them, "give me the week to think about it and I will let you know how I feel after the concert," he hesitated when the girl began to beam at him, "just give me some space while I consider your offer and then Saturday night I will show you exactly how I feel about you."

Karin nodded quickly, she had no idea how ominous those words truly were. She gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek which Sasuke accepted graciously.

"Oh, and Karin," he added as she turned to leave, "no matter what happens I want you to promise me two things."

"What?" her voice was tentative.

Sasuke smiled reassuringly, "I don't want this to affect the band and I want you to talk to Suigetsu."

Karin nodded in response and turned back to the door. Sasuke followed her and watched as she walked short distance to the elevator. He closed the door silently and pressed his body against the cool surface. A fiendish grin took hold of Sasuke's lips, there were a few more steps to his devious plot but he was sure everything would play right into his plan.


	15. Developments

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! It is really encouraging to know this fic is being so well received, I am excited to start on my next. I know you may think you know what is gonna go down - but you just might be surprised. **

**Warnings: We are going to revisit Naruto's past here, so there are going to be some disturbing topics - a little more graphic than before.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, which is good because I have one some sad things to him.**

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Another Monday, the day that Naruto had loathed at the beginning of the semester was now his favorite day of the week. Naruto didn't fear falling asleep in lecture with Sasuke sitting next to him; the two kept themselves entertained with notes and whispers and delicate touches. In lab they had to concentrate a little more on the task at hand, but that didn't stop them from keeping their bodies in close proximity – reaching across the table to grab a calculator and leaning down dangerously close to the other's lap while pulling equipment out of the drawers. There was only a few weeks left until their final project was due and anything left incomplete by the end of lab on Monday would _have_ to be worked on outside of class – _what a shame_, Naruto thought, more time with his partner.

The two boys exited the science building and meandered towards the cafeteria. They took the less traveled walkways, which gave them enough privacy to hold hands without fear of disapproving looks. This was a recent development, something that occurred sort of by accident a few days ago.

Naruto had tripped as they were walking and Sasuke, with his quick reflexes, caught the blond before he hit the concrete. They stood, arms length apart, Sasuke's pale hand wrapped tightly around Naruto's. The blond stared at their joined hands for a moment and a blush began to crawl up his neck. Sasuke smirked, Naruto was too easily flustered. The pale boy kept his grip as he continued forward motioning with a slight nod for the blond to follow. Now they walked down the path, fingers intertwined, talking and laughing, like it was perfectly natural.

"Naruto," Sasuke said, turning to face the blond.

"What's up?" the blond grinned back.

Sasuke shrugged, and continued in a nonchalant tone, "I heard that Taka was playing across town this weekend, I can't go but I thought you might like to so I got you a ticket."

Naruto blinked in surprise, "oh cool," he paused and pursed his lips, "I don't know if I wanna go without you though."

"You used to go out without me all the time," Sasuke scoffed, "there is no reason you should sit at home alone on a Saturday night just because I can't hang out."

Naruto nodded as he considered the idea, "alright, cool. Might be nice to get away from you anyway, you can be so suffocating."

Sasuke snorted and shoved the snickering boy away, "I'll stop by tomorrow with the ticket, will you be home by six?"

Naruto nodded his response and stopped just shy of the end of their secluded pathway. He tucked his fingers into Sasuke's front pocket and pulled the raven-haired boy close. He leaned in a let his lips settle against Sasuke's gently. The pale boy hesitated for a moment and then gave in to the embrace. He gripped the blond by the hips and closed the remaining gap between them. Naruto's tongue brushed against Sasuke's pale lips and the boy retreated for a teasing second before returning to capture Naruto's flesh again. The pale boy finally broke the embrace, a small smile tugging at his mouth.

"See you tomorrow," Sasuke said with a low, near whispering, voice.

Naruto watched as the dark-haired boy walked off toward the parking lot before he turned to head toward the cafeteria. He was going to have to get his lunch to go again, he had an appointment to keep.

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Naruto had sworn to himself that he would tell Sakura, it was only fair. That poor girl has been prying information out of Naruto for over a year and she never once complained about how difficult he was. She deserved some answers and since Naruto had been willing to share with Sasuke, he figured he owed her too.

Sakura was prepared and eagerly awaiting the tanned boy's arrival. She beamed at him as he walked through the door. He had offered her 1 hour, no holds barred, to interview him.

"Hello Naruto," she exclaimed, "have a seat, make yourself comfortable."

He rolled his eyes at her overt enthusiasm and settled down on the couch, he sat somewhat reclined and gave her a nod. Immediately she turned on her tape recorder and flipped through her notepad. She began with some less probing questions, but as time began to tick away her inquiries became more personal. Finally she reached the Pandora's box that Naruto had danced around for so long – the question of his scars.

Naruto recounted the story – it was very similar to the version he told Sasuke, with a few differences; Sakura already knew about the death of Naruto's parents and the sensitivity regarding Jiraiya's vocation. What he wasn't sure how to answer though, were the follow up questions.

Sakura grimaced as she wrote her notes, she looked at him with sympathetic eyes before gently asking, "how did you cope?"

Naruto stared up at the ceiling while he considered the question, "in the moment?" he paused, his brow furrowing, "I just tried to go someplace else while they had their way with me and most of the time that worked. It was when they wanted me to do things to them that it was the most traumatic," his eyes hardened as he continued, "its much easier to zone out when you are being fucked, but when somebody wants to you jerk them off you are sort of required to stay focused... That is how I broke my nose," Naruto paused, unsure just how much he wanted to share, "this guy wanted me to give him head, so I just sat there with my mouth open. I managed to _leave_, you know, while he fucked my face... but I guess he was telling me to do something and I wasn't responding, so he pounded my face so hard he crushed my nose. That didn't stop him, even though I was gushing blood – he kept going until he was finished."

Sakura's emerald eyes shifted from Naruto to her notepad and back, she almost looked guilty. She sort of felt guilty. This wasn't what she had expected, not from the exuberant blond she had met two years ago.

Her next question was not formed for the purposes of academia, rather a need to understand this broken boy in front of her, "how can you be so...happy?"

The words weren't quite right, but Naruto knew what she meant. How did he turn out so normal? How did he move past the trauma? The answer was simple, "Jiraiya."

Sakura was somehow surprised and yet immediately understanding of the answer, "how did he react?"

Naruto's expression softened some, "he knew something was wrong the second he picked me up from that house. He took me to a doctor who, I'm sure in no few words, advised him to seek therapeutic and legal assistance. During my first session with the shrink, before he returned to CPS with his lawyer, Jiraiya went back to that house and beat the shit out of that man. I know because when he picked me up that day his knuckles were bruised and he had a cut lip."

Naruto let out a soft chuckle that immediately relaxed Sakura, "I didn't much care for the therapist – sorry – but Jiraiya did a pretty good job of helping me work out the demons. He just kept trying to reassure me that people were not all bad – some of the were, sure, and it was unfortunate that I had to learn that at such a young age."

"Jiraiya made sure I understood that what I had experienced was not love or caring or healthy and that nobody should ever treat anybody like that. He didn't want me to lose faith in humanity at such a young age and he wanted to make damn sure I didn't develop an unhealthy sexuality. I know that probably sounds strange coming from a pornographer, but in a way it makes perfect sense, he understood the importance a healthy attitude about sex had on creating a romantic bond and he wanted me to be able to experience that bond."

Sakura made a small noise of understanding and Naruto brought his gaze to her. She glanced at her watch and gave him a small smile, "well our time is up, I don't want you to be late for class. I think we have made some major progress today."

"You are going to make a great therapist," Naruto teased.

"No, I am serious Naruto," she sighed, and forced her gaze to meet his, "I cannot thank you enough for your honesty and willingness to share this with me – I truly had no idea, hell I might not have even asked if I did. But that aside, I think I have a much better understanding about some of your behavior."

"Like what?" the blond demanded as he stood up.

"I will have to go back through my notes," she smiled as she stood and ushered him out the door, "but I will let you know as soon as I have a developed a strong theory."

She continued to smile as she shooed him out the door. Naruto said good bye and grumbled about over analytical shrinks as he continued down the hall. Sakura shut her door and flipped the lock. Slowly she moved to the couch, sitting down, she tucked her knees to her chin and after a valiant internal battle, she began to sob.


	16. Gaara Unexpected

**A/N: I thought I wold be kind and give you another chapter, instead of leaving you on such a low note. I hope you enjoy!**

**Warnings: Just the tiniest bit of citrus, minuscule really.**

**Disclaimer: I would love to own Naruto, to keep him locked in my basement, make him mine and mine alone - but there are laws against that sort of thing.**

* * *

Tuesday crawled along painfully and as darkness crept into the sky Naruto finally trudged home. It was quarter to six when Naruto finally reached his doorstep, but he felt satisfaction in the knowledge that he made it home before Sasuke arrived. He paused as his hand reached out for the doorknob, listening to a pulsing bass that appeared to originate from his house. Naruto put his keys back into his pocket and turned the knob – he was immediately inundated with pleasantly grating instrumentals and a melancholy voice. _Radiohead_. It could only mean one thing. _Gaara_.

Gaara dropped by unannounced whenever the mood struck him and left just as abruptly – it was the same routine for the last year. Naruto moved to the stereo and turned the music down to an appropriate decibel. He was not surprised to find Gaara come strolling down the hall wearing only a dark pair of boxers.

"Hey honey, home from work?" he teased as he moved toward the blond.

Naruto scoffed, "you know this isn't a laundromat."

Gaara stopped and looked down and regarded his near naked body, he shrugged and continued his approach. The lithe boy caught Naruto in an embrace and the blond couldn't help but blush as his arms wrapped around Gaara's naked back.

The red head nuzzled Naruto's neck, burying his face in golden hair, "its been awhile."

Naruto's frame went rigid – this had never happened before. Not once in nearly two years had Gaara come to Naruto, or vice versa, and been denied. Naruto's heart began to beat faster as he tried to get a grip on the situation. Slowly he pushed back from Gaara, he tried to act nonchalant as he moved to the kitchen.

Gaara would not be so easily dissuaded and he followed the blond into the next room. Naruto leaned into the fridge, absorbing the cold air as he tried to still his heart. He turned back around, beer in hand, and smiled at his once lover.

Pale green eyes peered back at him, unconvinced by the phony smile, "something wrong, Naruto?"

Azure eyes shifted nervously and Naruto compulsively scratched the back of his head, "nope, nothing is wrong."

Gaara did not believe him for a second, but if the blond wanted to play dumb than he would oblige. The red head moved to the blond once again, his eyes locked on wide sapphire orbs. Naruto tried to slink away but was too slow, Gaara brought his hands up to either side of the blond's head, trapping him against the fridge.

Gaara was intimidating despite his lean form, Naruto would describe him as having a powerful aura – if he believed in that sort of thing. Naruto felt weak as he stared into those sea foam eyes, nervously he darted his tongue out to wet his lips. Gaara's eyes finally dropped from Naruto's as he watched the flash of muscle moisten pink lips. Released from the entrancing stare, Naruto ducked down below Gaara's arm and escaped just as the boy had leaned in to kiss him.

Gaara blinked at the empty space in front of him and furrowed his brow, "something is wrong."

It was not a question, but a statement and it was made with some irritation. Gaara despised games, it was one of the reasons why he preferred his relationship with Naruto to a _real_ one. This was supposed to be cut and dry; no attachment, no questions, no lingering feelings.

Naruto sighed, he couldn't lie to Gaara, not because he didn't want to – although he really didn't like lying to his friends – but because it just wasn't possible. He pursed his lips and shifted his weight nervously, "I don't think I can _do this_."

Gaara gave him a confused look, "do you have a girlfriend or something?"

"Or something..." Naruto muttered.

Green eyes widened, "a boyfriend?"

Naruto let out an exasperated sigh, it wasn't the fact that Gaara was asking these questions, but the fact that he didn't really know the answers, "I don't know, I think so."

Gaara scoffed, the idea of Naruto having a serious boyfriend was unbelievable, but being uncertain about the existence of such a relationship was preposterous. _How could he not know?_

"Well are you fucking him?" Gaara asked the question so plainly, like asking what time it was.

Naruto shook his head and looked away as he chewed the inside of his cheek. Gaara smirked at this response, which only served to make the blond more nervous.

"Well if you haven't even fucked him," the red head moved in again, "I don't see what the big deal is."

Naruto was caught again by the strangely intense pale green eyes that locked on his own. Slowly and with precision, Gaara placed his lips against the blond's. He captured the top lip, released it and took hold of the bottom. Lids began to drop over sapphire eyes, and Naruto's mouth became more pliant. He did not reciprocate the kiss, but neither did he reject it. With a sharp knock on his door, Naruto's eyes flew open and he pushed Gaara back. The red head stumbled with the force of Naruto's movements.

"Fuck!" the blond cursed quietly, "Sasuke is here."

Gaara watched with a smirk as the flustered blond peered out towards the door. He looked back to the boy in his kitchen and groaned, realizing his state of undress did little to make this easier.

"You need to put on some clothes. _Now_," Naruto pulled and pushed the boy out of the kitchen, through the living room and down the hall.

Gaara, for all his irritation at this development was also quite amused and he snickered as Naruto made his demands.

"But Naru–" Gaara began to protest but a light kick in the ass encouraged him to keep moving.

Naruto raked his hands through his hair and calmed his breathing as he opened the door. For all his efforts he still appeared a little flustered and Sasuke arched an eyebrow as he examined the blond.

"H-Hey Sasuke," Naruto's eyes shifted between the raven-haired boy and the hall.

Sasuke followed the gaze and returned to regard the blond with suspicion, "...what's up?"

Naruto grinned widely, "nothing...nothing is up."

"...Are you going to let me in?" Sasuke peered over the blond's shoulder.

"Yeah," but the blond didn't move.

Sasuke grunted and pushed past the tanned boy. Naruto hurriedly shut the door and moved in front of Sasuke, blocking the hallway as best he could.

The dark-haired boy continued to stare at the blond with a dubious expression, "seriously what is wrong?"

Naruto fought the urge to return the question with a grin, instead he set his face in a solemn expression, "seriously there is nothing wrong. Just a long day, you know?"

But Sasuke's stare had moved beyond Naruto and now focused behind the blond. Naruto's gaze shifted to the side as he prepared to look behind him but strong hands on his shoulders caused his eyes to nearly pop out of his head.

"Are you going to introduce me to your friend Naruto?" Gaara said with an audible smirk.

"Ahh...haha...ha," an uncontrolled nervous laugh escaped. Naruto stepped away from Gaara who was gently pressing into him. He turned and was relieved to see the boy was appropriately dressed in dark jeans and a burgundy shirt that nearly matched his hair. "Gaara this is Sasuke," he gestured to the raven-haired boy, "Sasuke, Gaara."

Sasuke regarded this new friend with an unimpressed expression. Despite his external appearance, inside Sasuke was seething. Gaara was as tall, lean and reeked of confidence. Anybody else would have probably found the red head to be intimidating with his eye liner and tattoo on his forehead, but Uchiha's don't intimidate easily. However they do, apparently, experience jealousy. This wasn't like his concern over the receptionist at Naruto's work, there was no question about it this time – he was jealous. Sasuke did not like the close proximity of their bodies, he did not like how nervously the blond was shifting his eyes between his guests and he certainly did not like the knowing expression Gaara wore.

"Well, I am heading out," he addressed the glaring onyx and the anxious cobalt eyes that were on him, "I will probably be back late, so no need to wait up." Gaara addressed Naruto specifically. He offered Sasuke another smirk as he exited the house.

An awkward silence settled between the two boys as neither of them moved or spoke for a few long moments. Sasuke took the time to prioritize his many concerns about Gaara's presence and Naruto just waited to see what the raven-haired boy was going to do.

"You wanna go get something to eat?" Sasuke finally broke the silence.

Naruto heaved a sigh of relief and nodded. The blond knew he wasn't out of the woods quite yet, but at least Sasuke wasn't overtly pissed. Naruto grabbed his jacket and keys and moved toward the door.

They walked down the dark street, the brisk air biting at their cheeks, "Thai?" Naruto suggested.

Sasuke grunted in approval and tried to shove his hands further into his pockets. Naruto shifted his gaze over to the pale boy a few times while they made the short walk to the restaurant. Sasuke continued his deadpan stare. The tiny restaurant was relatively empty on a Tuesday night and the hostess offered them to sit wherever they pleased. Sasuke took the opportunity to find a secluded corner and scooted into the booth, Naruto sat down across from him.

Now forced to face each other the silence became overbearing, "so is Gaara a good friend? You have never mentioned him before," Sasuke meant the question innocently but couldn't help the accusatory fashion in which it came out.

Naruto tried to smile, "He sort of comes and goes as he pleases. It could be months between hearing from him," he couldn't help but sound a little defensive, "but yeah, he is one of the first friends I made when I moved here."

Sasuke gave a light huff, not fully satisfied with the answer but not feeling Naruto had been dishonest either. He decided to switch gears but still kept his focus on the red head, "so what is up with that kanji tattoo? 'Love'?"

Naruto gave a slight laugh, "it is sort of in homage to his mother."

Sasuke furrowed his brow, that was not the answer he expected, "he must really care about her."

The blond barked a laugh, "yeah...no not really. She basically disowned him after high school, didn't approve of his _lifestyle_. It is sort of his way of saying that the only person that can truly love you is yourself. Its why he acts the way he does – kind of selfish and inconsiderate."

"So, Gaara is gay?" Sasuke wanted to confirm the most valuable piece of information he gleaned from Naruto's explanation.

"Hmm?" the blond tried to play dumb.

Sasuke leaned over the table, and smirked devilishly at the blond, "Naruto...have you and Gaara ever..." he finished the sentence with a hand gesture.

Naruto's cheeks instantly flared red, "where the hell is our waiter, we don't even have water yet?" he blurted loudly.

Sasuke sat back and rolled his eyes, he thought he should be angry or jealous but instead he was just amused at how flustered Naruto became. There may have been something between him and Gaara in the past, but the idea clearly made Naruto uncomfortable and that made Sasuke strangely happy. If Naruto is this nervous it might mean he really cares about Sasuke, like he's afraid to hurt the other boy.

Sasuke didn't bring up Gaara again throughout the meal and Naruto was relieved that he was able to eat in peace. The blond stabbed his chopsticks at the empty plate in front of him and looked to Sasuke as the dark-haired boy suddenly perked up, a thought having just come to mind.

"You said Gaara comes and goes as he pleases...so he just showed up unexpectedly today?" the pale boy asked.

"Yep. He will show up, do his laundry, stay a few days, eat all my food and leave again," the blond answered blandly.

Sasuke's lids dropped and he pursed his lips in consideration, "so where does he normally sleep when he stays with you?"

Naruto's eyes went wide and he stopped fiddling with the chopsticks. If there was a ever a time he wished he lived in a two bedroom house it was now. He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. Sasuke smirked at the gaping blond in front of him.

"Well he is going to be in for a big surprise when he gets back tonight," Sasuke voice was low and dripping with intention.

"Check!" Naruto shouted at their unfortunate waiter.

* * *

**A/N: So I dont' know why, but I have always associated Gaara with Radiohead - they have always been connected in my mind.**


	17. A Late Night show

**A/N: Thank you everybody for your amazing reviews! You make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!**

**Warnings: I went out to my lemon tree and picked this one especially for you! It is ripe and plump and oh so juicy! If you don't want my lemon, then please go no further**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto... but if I did, Sasuke would be a very sore boy**

* * *

Alternating bodies slammed against either wall of the hallway as Naruto and Sasuke moved toward the bedroom. Heated kisses were exchanged as the two boys pushed and pulled against each other. Finally in the sanctuary of Naruto's room, the pale boy was thrown to the bed and the blond hurriedly pulled off his shoes. With much more grace, Sasuke slipped his sneakers off and began to unbutton his shirt. He smirked at the way azure eyes watched him with hunger. Pale, dextrous fingers worked each button as he slowly made his was down his shirt.

Naruto tore his own shirt up, over his head and was pleased to see he hadn't missed much of the little show Sasuke was putting on. As the blond threw the article to the floor, Sasuke shrugged out of his, the fabric clinging to him briefly before falling off his shoulders. Naruto growled as the pale flesh was exposed, alabaster skin wrapped taut around lean muscle.

The tanned boy lunged at Sasuke, throwing him back onto the bed, and began to ravage the newly revealed flesh. He began at the pale boy's neck and worked feverishly down, he followed the line of muscle across to Sasuke's shoulder and back in. Naruto nibbled at Sasuke's gently protruding collar bone and sank his tongue into the hollow at his throat. He trailed his tongue back up the long neck and finally terminated his exploration on Sasuke's lips.

The pale boy's groan was swallowed by Naruto as the tanned boy playfully flicked his tongue into the hot cavern of Sasuke's mouth. The trail of kisses Naruto had left still tingled as the blond began to explore more of Sasuke's body with his hands. Naruto ran his fingers down Sasuke's sides, eliciting a breathy moan – almost a laugh. The tanned hands grabbed onto Sasuke's hips and held tight for a moment before moving in.

As Naruto fiddled with the button of Sasuke's jeans, the pale boy decided to take his turn in exploration. His fingers splayed across the strong, tanned chest before dragging around to Naruto's back. He could feel muscles move under his hands and he followed the defined lines with his fingertips. Sasuke moved his hands down and down until he reached the hem of Naruto's pants, he pushed under the fabric and grabbed onto the firm mass of muscle. The action forced Naruto's hips to collide with Sasuke's; they shared a guttural moan as their trapped erections rubbed together.

A fire was lit as the boys continued to grind their straining cocks against one another. Naruto finally dispatched of Sasuke's pants as the raven-haired boy worked frantically to remove the blond's. They moved in concert, their actions perfectly choreographed despite having never been together like this before.

Naruto leaned down and gently pressed his lips to the pale boy's. What started as a slow kiss quickly deepened and became more hasty. The blond snaked his hand down and began to palm Sasuke's throbbing cock. The raven-haired boy moaned wantonly at the contact, thrusting his hips up. Naruto released the swollen lips and continued to stroke Sasuke as he moved down.

Sasuke squirmed as Naruto's lips trailed down his body, searing his skin immediately and leaving the flesh begging for the heat of Naruto's lips to return. But they did not, they continued to move further south until hot breath was caressing the tight skin of Sasuke's cock. Pent up desire was burning through Sasuke's veins; if he weren't an Uchiha he may have begged for the hovering mouth to consume him – but his pride would never allow it. Instead he fisted the golden locks and tried to encourage Naruto's movement.

The blond peered up at Sasuke, their eyes met with intensity – midnight orbs filled with a commanding desire and passion laden cobalt locked on each other. Naruto kept his gaze focused on those dark pools as he slowly protruded his tongue and ran it up the thick flesh of Sasuke's cock. The pale boy's features seemed to soften and Naruto lapped him again and again. Naruto finally broke his gaze as he angled his head to fully go down on the straining cock.

He took in a little bit at a time, twirling his tongue and sucking lightly as he slid more and more of Sasuke into his mouth. The raven-haired boy groaned with each additional inch that was devoured by the blond. Naruto's hot, wet cavern provided unbelievable pleasure – his skilled tongue rolled up and down and around the thick flesh while his hollowed cheeks offered perfect suction. Naruto gave an appreciative hum when he tasted the first drops of thick precum that coated his tongue. The vibration traveled directly down Sasuke's cock, sending sparks of pleasure up his spine. The dark-haired boy tightened his grip on the blond locks tangled in his fingers. Naruto groaned as Sasuke tugged at his head, which only encouraged the pale boy further.

Naruto twisted his head as best he could to get a view of the pale boy as he continued to pump him with his mouth. The blond was met with a spectacular sight – Sasuke's head was thrown back, eyes closed and mouth slightly agape. Naruto brought his hands down from their position on the pale boy's sides; with his left he stroked the base of Sasuke's shaft and with his right he fondled the boy's balls.

Pleasure continued to build in the pale boy and he began to roll his hips, trying to extract every last bit of ecstasy. Naruto noticed the increased pace with which Sasuke thrust up into his mouth; he plunged down as the pale boy came up, causing the swollen head to press against the back of his throat. Sasuke's breath hitched and he bit his lip to contain his scream. Naruto began suck again as he pulled further and further back until finally the only this working the throbbing erection was his hand.

Sasuke growled at the loss and looked down to see what could be so important as to pull Naruto away from finishing what he had started. What he saw when his gaze settled on the blond made all frustration disappear. Naruto was straddling one of his legs, his own straining cock being rubbed gently against the pale thigh. With his left hand Naruto pumped Sasuke, applying more pressure towards the tip and twisting his wrist slightly before beginning his downward stroke. Naruto had his right hand up to his mouth, sucking lewdly on three fingers; he flicked his tongue between the digits, coating them with saliva and remnants of precum. He blinked languidly at the pale boy before pulling his hand away from his mouth; there was a slight smirk present as he bent down again.

Having returned his mouth to it's proper place on Sasuke's cock, the blond began to press his moistened fingers against the pale boy's entrance. The dark-haired boy released a throaty moan and bucked his hips, signaling Naruto to proceed. A tanned finger pushed past the tight ring of muscle and sank into the hot channel. Cautiously, Naruto began to explore the tight heat; he pressed the digit against the walls, stroking the cavity from the inside. Sasuke bucked again, pushing back against the intruding finger and pressing it deeper into him. Naruto moved with more confidence, bobbing his head and thrusting his finger more vigorously into the pale boy. Sasuke gave a pleading moan and Naruto obliged him by introducing a second digit into the tight hole.

The sensation was overwhelming, being simultaneously sucked off and finger-fucked. Sasuke couldn't decide which he wanted more – to thrust up into Naruto's mouth or buck down onto the probing digits. The pale boy writhed beneath Naruto, the coil of pleasure that had been building was beginning to spread. The blond added a third finger to the tightly muscled channel, thoroughly stretching the pale boy as he continued to pump in and out of him.

Naruto tried to concentrate as he moved his fingers against the hot walls. He was searching for Sasuke's sweet spot, the swollen gland that would flood him with pleasure. His fingers brushed against a bulge in the muscled wall and Sasuke bucked, forcing the digits deeper. Naruto smirked around the cock in his mouth and repeated the motion. The pale boy barely contained his groans as the blond struck his prostate. The blond continued to bob his head as he began to pump fiercely in and out of the raven-haired boy. Sasuke bucked more violently as waves of pleasure washed over him.

"Naruto...I..." Sasuke mumbled between moans, "I-I'm..."

The blond began to perform his finishing move as the pale boy continued to buck and groan. Naruto began to pound Sasuke, sending glorious white hot sparks throughout the pale boy's body with each strike of his prostate. He retreated from the pale boy's cock until all that was left in his mouth was the swollen head. He flicked his tongue along the slit playfully before flattening it against the side of the thick flesh. Naruto slowly began his descent, pulling Sasuke back into his mouth inch by inch. With a gentle pressure he pushed the throbbing cock against the roof of his mouth as the head moved further back until it pressed softly against the back of his throat.

Sasuke's breath became ragged as the sensations flooded him. His cock was completely engulfed by the Naruto's mouth – the tip rubbing gently against Naruto's throat. Soft sucks and a lightly pressing tongue threw him over the edge. He bucked hard as he came, streams of cum flowing down Naruto's throat. The aftermath left him panting, sprawled out across the bed.

Sasuke gave a quiet grunt as tanned fingers pulled out of him. Naruto smiled at the raven-haired boy and shook his hand, trying to return the blood flow that had been cut off when Sasuke came – he clenched down so hard the blond thought he might dislocate something. The blond wiggled his fingers and once confident everything was still in working order he leaned down to kiss the pale boy below him. Sasuke returned the kiss with fervor, relishing the way the taste of his cum mingled with Naruto's own saliva.

Naruto did not press Sasuke to reciprocate after he finally came down from his sensational orgasm, he was content to nuzzle into the pale boy's neck while Sasuke gently stroked his arm. The blond didn't last long, he too was spent from their activities. The raven-haired boy watched as Naruto fell asleep and eventually found himself slowly drifting off.

* * *

Sasuke had always been a light sleeper, but this night he made sure to be especially aware of his surroundings. He laid on his back, one arm tucked behind his head – the other was wedged firmly between him and the blond that was cuddling him. Sasuke wasn't used to sleeping next to anybody, but he found himself enjoying the warmth of the body next to him on this cold night.

The front door creaked slightly as it opened into the silent house. Despite an obvious attempt to keep quiet, the click of the lock still resonated. Sasuke's eyes flew open at the subtle sounds, his lips turned up into a devilish grin. Gently he rolled the blond onto his back and softly began to trail his fingers up and down Naruto's cock.

"Naruto," he whispered huskily into the blond's ear, he stirred slightly but did not wake, "Naruto, would you like to fuck me?"

The blond groaned, his cock twitched under Sasuke's hand. The raven-haired boy smirked and licked his palm before stroking the fledgling erection. He straddled the blond and peered into the darkness around the bed, the night stand had no drawers and there was no poorly hidden paraphernalia lying around the mattress. Sasuke pursed his lips in disappointment, but shrugged the feeling off. This was going to be a rough ride, but it had been long enough since his last fuck – maybe a little rough sex was just what he needed.

He spat on two fingers and reached around to prepare himself. He was still loose from their earlier activities, when Naruto had thoroughly plundered him. He smeared the saliva around his puckered entrance and grabbed Naruto's now firm cock. He hovered just above the head for a moment, biting his lip; then with a deep breath he slammed down, engulfing all of Naruto in one swift movement.

"Sasuke!"

"Jesus FUCK!"

Simultaneous exclamations filled the room. Wide blue eyes stared up at Sasuke, not that he could see them with his own eyes screwed tightly shut. After a few panting breaths the onyx eyes reopened and Sasuke looked down at the still surprised blond. Pale lips curled up in a grin and Sasuke began to roll his hips. Naruto shuddered and released a breathy moan before rocking himself against the raven-haired boy. Their bodies moved in unison, building in tempo until Sasuke fell forward and began to lift off the thick flesh that was buried so deeply inside him. He raised off of Naruto only a few inches at first, before sliding back down on the hard cock, then he rose a little further and a little further still. Naruto grabbed the slender hips and held tightly as he supported Sasuke's efforts. Soon the pale boy was slamming himself down onto the blond.

Sasuke did not hold back his screams – incoherent combinations of curses, deities and Naruto's name. The firm grip Naruto had on his hips allowed Sasuke to lean forward more and he pounded his fist against the wall as the thick flesh slammed into his prostate. The blond thrust up harder and faster, all the while the pale boy to released deep, animalistic moans.

Sasuke had to lean back before he cracked the wall with his relentless pounding. He continued to ride Naruto's thick cock as he reached behind him and snaked his hand down to the blond's tight balls. He rolled them between his fingers leisurely.

"God...fuck...yes," Sasuke moaned quietly as he reached back further.

Pale fingers released Naruto's balls in favor of massaging his taint. He pressed down firmly, rubbing from back to front. The blond gasped at the sensation, fisting the sheets as his thrusts became more erratic. Sensing Naruto's impending climax, Sasuke brought his free hand to his own throbbing erection and began to stroke in time with with rocking of his hips. Naruto released a punctuated moan as he came, his hot seed pulsing into the pale boy. A tan hand moved on top of Sasuke's and pumped the pale boy until he too released in a louder, more throaty moan.

Sasuke remained perched on top of the blond as his heart slowly returned to a steady, resting beat. Naruto stared up at the pale boy and as the pleasure began to ebb he found himself still smiling. The raven-haired boy was so beautiful, bathed in the silver moon light. The light caressed his skin at an angle that left certain planes in darkness while illuminating others. One quarter of his face, the sleek column of his neck, the curve of his shoulder, a section of the gently rising and falling ribcage and the side of his thigh – all displayed clearly by the pale cascading light.

"Naruto..." Sasuke whispered, his voice raspy.

"Yeah, Sasuke?" the blond replied weakly.

The pale boy leaned down and brushed his lips against Naruto's, "I need a towel."


	18. The Morning After

**A/N: I hope everybody enjoyed the epic lemon! Thanks for all your reviews! This chapter should answer some of your questions...**

**Warnings: This chapter contains more yaoi goodness... you know you want it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto... don't look so shocked.**

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke padded quietly down the hall Wednesday morning in hopes that they would avoid waking Gaara. Unfortunately for the bed mates, he was already awake and smirking as the boys made their way to the front door.

"Good morning," the red head offered, his eyes lighting up mischievously.

"Morning," Naruto replied with a sheepish grin.

Gaara leaned back in his chair, a cup of coffee resting against his lips. He casually took a sip before speaking, "that was quite a performance last night."

The blond flushed immediately and flipped the red head off as he pulled on his jacket. Sasuke simply stared at Gaara with a smug look on his face, he was not embarrassed, after all it was true – they had really outdone themselves.

"No, I mean it," the red head continued, "sure, it was kind of awkward at first – but once I was able to replace _his_ name with mine, it was much easier to jack off to." Gaara's pale green eyes flicked between the two boys as his smile grew.

Naruto shut his eyes in exasperation, "Jesus, Gaara."

The red head laughed softly as the scene unfolded; Naruto was beet red and Sasuke was bristling. The blond quickly gathered up their bags and shoved the glaring boy out the door.

"I will talk to you tonight," Naruto threatened as he shut the door on the amused red head.

* * *

They sat in the back of the classroom, it was becoming their usual spot. Only a few scattered lights illuminated the room while Kakashi began his power point presentation. The two boys sat in relative darkness as they took their notes.

_**You know I came twice last night**_

Sasuke smirked as he wrote to the blond.

_I do what I can?_

_**Just doesn't seem fair, you only came once**_

_?_

Sasuke scooted his chair closer and discreetly reached over to the blond's lap. His smirk grew as he began to rub Naruto. He kneaded the boy's inner thigh at first, then moved to the bulge that was forming under the denim. Naruto did not resist the advances, he simply pushed in his chair further in an attempt to hide the activity.

He tried to stifle a groan and when he failed he attempted to cover it up with a cough. Unfortunately this only served to attract the attention of his professor. Kakashi began to move towards the blond as he lectured. Naruto's breathing became ragged as the silver-haired man approached, Sasuke decided this was the right time to stealthily pull down his zipper.

Naruto thanked the gods for the dim lights as his instructor moved closer, "Mr. Uzumaki, can you tell me the first thing to happen when an alcohol is exposed to an acid?"

The blond sputtered, trying desperately to find the answer – but his mind was blank, completely and utterly blank. It wouldn't have mattered if he had been asked the color of the sky or to complete pi to the 15th decimal place – his answer would have been the same blank stare. Sasuke looked at Naruto with a bored expression, despite the fact that his hand was still messaging a growing erection.

The pale boy whispered softly to the blond and Naruto's voice cracked from his throat, "protonation of the hydroxyl group."

Kakashi's exposed eye slit to a glare and he nodded before returning to the front of the class. Naruto heaved a sigh of relief and turned to the raven-haired boy. He wanted to be angry, to curse out the boy; but when he looked over all he saw were sultry obsidian eyes and beautiful pale lips curled into an amused smile – and he couldn't be mad.

Sasuke continued to stroke Naruto's cock despite the odd angle and restricting clothing. Naruto's eyelids began to droop as the pale boy worked the head and he released a shuddered breath. Sasuke gracefully slid off his chair and moved under table. Naruto briefly wondered if the designers of these desks had intended to make it so easy for somebody to engage in oral sex – the front and sides both had walls that blocked the view of everything under the table save for feet.

The dark-haired boy positioned himself between Naruto's legs and the blond scooted to the edge of his seat to allow Sasuke better access. The pale boy ran his tongue up the shaft and twirled it around the head before finally taking the thick flesh into his mouth. He pumped in a steady rhythm and sucked lightly, careful not to make too many lewd sounds. Naruto's eyes fluttered closed and he clenched his jaw to keep from moaning. He began to breath harder as Sasuke picked up his pace.

Across the aisle and two empty seats down Ino perked up when she heard Naruto snap his pencil. She looked over and lifted an eyebrow at the sight. The blond was slouched in his chair, with his hips thrust forward. One hand grasped a broken pencil while the other was clenched in a fist. He had his head tilted back and his chest was heaving with quick, shallow breaths.

The blonde girl tilted back in her chair and noticed Sasuke's vacant seat, her eyes shifted back to Naruto who was now biting hard into his bottom lip. Ino pursed her lips and leaned back in her chair further, desperately trying to get a glimpse under the desk. She wasn't able to get a good view under the desk but she did notice that Naruto had began to rock his hips in short, jerky movements. Ino couldn't stand it, she leaned back further in her chair, tilting dangerously on two legs.

Naruto was near climax and anxiety was beginning to mix with the pleasure he was receiving from Sasuke's delicious mouth. He didn't think he would be able to keep quiet when he came, he was too excited and it felt too damn good. Just as he felt the coil of pleasure about to burst from him, a loud crash filled the room. Streams of hot cum flooded the pale boy's mouth and Naruto groaned, cursing Sasuke's name.

Only after the raven-haired boy had sucked him dry did Naruto look over to see what angel had caused the racket that allowed him to cum. He saw Ino getting up off the floor, picking up her chair. She looked over to Naruto, her face was about as flushed as his. They exchanged glances and instantly both parties knew exactly what had transpired. Ino smiled and rolled her eyes while Naruto reached below the desk to zip up his pants. She returned her gaze to the front of the class and Naruto gave Sasuke the all clear to reclaim his seat.

* * *

Walking down the desolate pathway, Naruto clung to Sasuke – his fingers interlaced with the pale boy's even though Sasuke had his hand stuffed in his jacket pocket. A crisp breeze whipped around them as they made their way toward the cafeteria.

"I almost forgot," Sasuke mumbled as he reached with his free hand into the bag that hung near his hip, "here is your ticket."

Sasuke handed over a folded sheet of paper. Naruto smiled as he took the printed out ticket and slipped it into his back pocket.

"Hey, Sasuke?" the blond moved away from the pale boy and folded his arms tight against his chest. The pale boy grunted and Naruto continued, "what happened last night?"

Sasuke furrowed his brow at the question, "what do you mean?"

"I mean...the sex."

The raven-haired boy continued to give Naruto a questioning expression, "we fucked? I would have thought that was pretty obvious – even to you."

Naruto shot an icy glare at the pale boy, "yes I am aware we fucked. My question in why."

Sasuke shrugged, it seemed to be a moot point. What did the reason matter – they had both wanted it and it was spectacular. Did it matter that part of the reason Sasuke had mounted the blond was to piss off Gaara? Did it matter that another part of him wanted to make a deeper connection with Naruto? All that mattered to Sasuke was the fact that he had gotten everything he wanted out of it. Sure, Sasuke really needed a good fuck, but he received more than that last night.

"Don't get me wrong, it was _really_ good...its just, I don't usually _fuck_ people," the blond continued.

Sasuke's face scrunched up a little at that statement. Was he just another one of the blond's play things?

"I didn't think I was just some person," the pale boy stated coldly.

Naruto's face immediately softened, he hadn't meant to offend his lover, "you're not," he stopped and grabbed the pale boy's arm, "Sasuke you are not just some person. I may not understand what this is," he motioned between their bodies, "but I can assure you that you mean something to me. You are more than a good fuck to me and I hope I am more than that to you."

Sasuke's dark eyes warmed slightly. He didn't affirm the statement with words but he leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Naruto's rosy lips. The kiss remained chaste and the dark-haired boy pulled away before he lost what little control he had around the blond.


	19. Definitions

**A/N: Another short chapter. Really this and the last chapters could have been one, but I felt there was too much change in subject matter so I split it. Enjoy the bonus post!**

**Warnings: Some mentions of sweet boyxboy love, but nothing too citrusy.**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Naruto, I need to get on that.**

* * *

Naruto dreaded returning home that night. He was sure he would find one of two things – a seething Gaara or an empty house. Either one would likely upset him and Naruto didn't know which was worse. When he arrived he found something more horrible than he had ever imagined: there, in his living room, Gaara sat with a placated smile on his face and in the adjacent chair was Naruto's pink-haired therapist.

"Oh good God," he groaned as he dropped his bag next to the door.

Gaara offered him a phony grin, "hi, sweetie."

Sakura chuckled lightly and turned to face the blond, "oh come now, Naruto," she patted the arm of the couch, "have a seat and join us."

_This cannot end well_. He sat down anyway, "so what sign of the Apocalypse has you two joined in conversation?"

"Your new boyfriend," Gaara stated, a slight animosity evident in his voice.

"Boyfriend?" Sakura inquired.

"Sasuke," the blond clarified. He didn't know what the appropriate label was for the raven-haired boy, and he wasn't about to start using the term so casually.

"Well, whatever to you want to call him. Gaara has informed me that you two have consummated your...uh..._relationship_," Sakura leaned in excitedly as she spoke.

Naruto shot the red head a glare, "of course he has," he turned his attention back to Sakura, "I don't know what you think I am going to tell you, but I am not."

Sakura fell back into her chair with a pout on her face. Gaara leaned closer to her and by default closer to Naruto. He was only about a foot away and Naruto found the distance was not enough to keep his muscles from tensing.

"I can tell you what happened," the red head waggled his non-existent eyebrows at Sakura.

"What? Were you watching us too you damn voyeur?" Naruto spat as he leaned further away from Gaara.

The boy shrugged and fell back against the couch, "I have a good imagination."

"Then who was on top?" Naruto rolled his eyes as he quizzed Gaara.

"Sasuke was on top, he rode you like an elevator – up and down and up and down..." Gaara wore a smirk as he spoke.

Naruto looked shocked and felt a blush creeping up the back of his neck, "How could you...?"

Sakura leaned forward again, "then what happened?"

Gaara tapped his finger against his chin as he visualized the escapade, "Naruto came first – like a geyser, spraying into Sasuke. The he pumped Sasuke until he shot his load all over Naruto's chest."

Wide azure eyes stared incredulously at Gaara, "holy fuck, could you be more obscene?"

"What? Am I wrong?" he asked too innocently.

Sakura was laughing, "okay, okay... but seriously Naruto...that is fucking hot," the pink-haired girl continued to laugh as Naruto stared daggers at her, finally the laughter subsided and she blinked until regained her composure, "I'm sorry Naruto, I actually came by to see if you wanted to grab some dinner."

Naruto was still quite aggravated, but he was also damn hungry. He glared at his guests for a moment before his growling stomach announced his decision. They traveled a few blocks to a 24 hour burger joint Naruto frequented on drunken summer nights.

* * *

Despite how irritated he was when he left his house, by the time his food arrived Naruto was actually enjoying his company. Gaara politely avoided any more lewd comments and Sakura did not once try to pry into the blond's personal life. They continued their conversations as they walked back to Naruto's house and Sakura took her leave. An awkward silence fell between Naruto and Gaara as they stood alone in his living room.

"Well I guess I ought to go to bed," Naruto said cautiously.

Gaara nodded, "yeah me too, I am gonna head out tomorrow morning."

Naruto nervously chewed the inside of his cheek as his eyes darted between the hallway and the couch. He didn't want the red head to come to bed with him; it wasn't that he didn't trust Gaara – or himself for that matter – but it just didn't feel right. However, he didn't want to piss Gaara off either.

The red head pursed his lips, appearing a little irritated as he spoke, "I guess I will take the couch."

Naruto visibly relaxed, "thanks, Gaara."

The red head huffed as he crossed his arms. The blond looked apologetic and pulled Gaara into a hug, he accepted the embrace and wrapped his arms around Naruto. There was still a slight surge as the two bodies pressed into each other, but neither boy acted on it. Naruto was not so naive as to deny his lingering attraction to Gaara; but he recognized how shallow that attraction was and knew that what he shared with Sasuke – undefined though it may be – was much stronger.

* * *

When Naruto shuffled into the living room the next morning Gaara was already gone. The blond frowned a little and moved to the kitchen. He reached for the fridge door and stopped, his hand moved to a note that was placed under a magnet.

_Naruto_

_Sorry if I pissed you off yesterday. I hope you find what you are looking for with this guy. But if you don't, I can always ride you like an elevator._

_Gaara_

Naruto smiled and folded the note, placing it on the counter. He was relieved to find that Gaara did not resent him, it made it much easier to accept his feelings for Sasuke.

_Ahh, yes – Sasuke_.

Things had definitely become more complicated now that sex was involved. Naruto didn't think he could just ask Sasuke to define their relationship; knowing him, the Uchiha would make some sort of sarcastic remark and dodge the question. But if Naruto assumed they were exclusive Sasuke would probably get pissed off at how presumptuous he was being. Either Sasuke was going to have to broach the topic or Naruto was going to have to nut up and find out himself. But for now, the blond was content to see how things played out.


	20. Performances

**A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers! So here we are - Concert night! Time to discover Sasuke's plan... think you know what is going to happen? Hmmm... I guess we will find out. **

**Warnings: Some brief limey goodness here, try to enjoy it. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Sasuke does not own "Never" by Marcy Playground.

* * *

**

Naruto did not see the raven-haired boy much the rest of the week, Friday they had their hour in chemistry and lunch following class. Sasuke didn't offer much of an explanation, but he made it clear there was a prior engagement that he couldn't get out of. Naruto didn't press the subject, it wasn't like he lived for Sasuke, he could find another way to entertain himself – like the concert on Saturday.

As the weekend approached, Naruto found himself growing increasingly excited for Saturday night. He hadn't given it much thought since the beginning of the semester, but he really had enjoyed Taka's performance at Finnigan's. He truly was disappointed that Sasuke could not come with him, but a small part of him was happy to be going alone. It wasn't like he expected anything to happen at the concert, but Naruto still thought it might be a little awkward to be with his..._ Boyfriend? Lover? Whatever Sasuke was_...while watching a man that quite clearly turned him on.

* * *

"I'm expecting a guest tonight," Sasuke spoke coolly to the bouncer, "I want you to bring him backstage after the show."

"How am I supposed to recognize him?" the man queried.

"You won't be able to miss him," Sasuke replied with a smirk.

* * *

Naruto made his way across the poorly lit parking lot to what looked more like a warehouse than a concert venue. The blond had noticed the last few blocks of his drive were increasingly industrial, that is after he passed a few strip clubs and seedy bars. There were no signs, the establishment had no name – just an address. The other cars in the parking lot were the only indication that something was happening inside.

Naruto could barely make out his breath as he exhaled in uneven respirations. He was excited and nervous for reasons he didn't quite understand. He shoved his hands deeper into the pockets of his hoodie – _Fuck I should have worn a real jacket_.

He approached a burly man that guarded the entrance and begrudgingly removed a hand from it's warm shelter to fish out the ticket in his back pocket. He brought his other hand out and blew a hot breath into the clenched fists in front of his face. The man gave Naruto a cursory glance and stepped aside, the blond pushed through the door quickly.

Entering the building Naruto immediately understood that second look that the door man had given him. In front of him there was a sea of pale bodies clad in black. Naruto suddenly felt very self conscious; he _might_ have blended in somewhat, with his gray and navy blue striped hoodie, if it weren't for the bright orange shirt he wore underneath and of course his sunshine hair. He fought the urge to zip up his hoodie and worked his way through the crowd towards the stage.

The speakers thumped with techno and Naruto noticed the walls were covered in bright graffiti, then it dawned on him – this was a rave spot that had been converted to accommodate the concert. He chewed his lip anxiously as he looked toward the stage. _Goddamn, why am I so nervous?_ It wasn't just the fact that Naruto stood out like a sore thumb, something else was tugging at his stomach. Something he couldn't place just didn't seem right.

The rhythmic music finally died down and the crowd surged forward, bodies cramming together as they moved toward the stage. The girl came out first and took her seat behind the drums, the guitarist followed her and the bassist behind him, a few agonizing seconds later and the singer took the stage. The emo god did not disappoint and Naruto's breath picked up at the sight of him – something familiar and yet foreign.

He looked much like the blond remembered – flawless porcelain skin, ink black hair with spikes jutting out the back and crimson eyes that seemed to glow. Once again, the man was dressed in all black, but tonight he decided to forgo the leather. He wore tight jeans and a fitted shirt that was only half buttoned, a thin red scarf was draped around his neck and tied loosely about half way down his chest. Naruto stared, mesmerized, at the accessory and for a fleeting moment he imagined that scarf wrapped around those pale wrists, securing the vocalist while tanned hands ravaged his body.

"_**On through the woods and you go through the snow. Walk to the tree and you breathe on the limb.  
How many times have you seen me with her?"  
**_

His voice, velvety thick, filled the room and washed over the audience. It consumed Naruto... no, that wasn't quite right, it didn't leave him feeling hollow – rather it made him feel more whole. The voice enhanced his essence with something that he didn't know he craved.

_**"When the night comes and you find that you're bound. Tied to the tree and the straps at your knees. How many times have you seen me with her?"  
**_

That fluttering sensation was back in full force and Naruto felt a little queasy, but he pushed it down. Hormones were surging through him and his skin was tingling.

_**"I'd say never, aw lover. Say never, here."**_

Despite the poor lighting and mediocre sound system, the concert was really quite good; the band was utterly entrancing. As the crowd began to thin out the blond turned to exit but a firm grip on his shoulder stopped him in his tracks. Naruto spun around to see the bouncer from the entrance looking down at him.

"You are wanted backstage," the burly man said curtly.

The blond gave a questioning look in response but followed him back towards the stage. Naruto climbed the few steps to the platform and peered behind the curtain. There wasn't much room, only a few feet between the curtain and the back wall, what little space existed was littered with the band's gear. It was dark back here, even darker than it had been during the concert – but Naruto saw the lithe figure of the vocalist standing, statuesque, a short distance away.

The emo god moved toward him from the center of the stage, a raspy voice spoke, "what did you think of the show?"

Naruto just nodded, clearly confused. The approaching man chuckled, apparently amused by Naruto's state. _What am I doing here? I need to go. I need to go now. _But he didn't moved, his body was rooted in place – even as the man closed in on him.

"I have a confession to make," the man said quietly, then leaning in his voice turned husky, "I have a thing for blonds."

Their bodies were not touching, but Naruto's skin felt like it was on fire with the heat that rose between them.

Naruto's flirtatious nature took over and without his consent, the blond began to speak, "funny, I have a thing for pale guys."

Shocked by his own statement Naruto's breath hitched and he looked at the man with anxious cobalt eyes. The man's eyelids drooped and a his lips turned up in small smirk.

"What else do you like?" his breath ruffled the blond's hair as he spoke.

Naruto was drunk with lust, part of him knew he should have left, that if he stayed things were going to get out of control – fast. But that part of him no longer called the shots.

"I like a tight ass," he whispered back.

The man hummed in approval, "I wasn't expecting such dirty talk from a preppy blond. What other surprises could that pretty mouth have?"

Naruto's body finally decided to move, but not to leave. No, it pushed the crimson-eyed man back against the wall with enough force to cause him to grunt. Naruto dropped to his knees and eagerly began to work the man's button fly. He grinned when an unclothed erection sprang out of the pants. Naruto licked his lips and looked up for a moment, the man was staring at him with a wanton expression in his crimson eyes.

The blond wasted no time and hungrily gobbled the hard cock. He sucked vigorously, bobbing his head. Fingers tangled in his hair, gently tugging at the golden locks.

"Nnn...N-Na..." the man moaned before biting his lip to hold back any further sounds.

Naruto thought nothing of the presumed sex sounds and continued to enthusiastically suck the man off. A loud gasp from behind him caused the blond to stop bobbing his head.

"Sasuke!" a female voice screeched.

Naruto's eyes widened and he opened his mouth, releasing the throbbing cock with a pop.

"Sasuke?" his voice cracked as he looked up.

"I didn't tell you to stop Naruto," he smirked down at the blond.

Naruto shot to his feet, "Sasuke!"

The blond watched as the raven-haired boy nonchalantly tucked his erection back into his pants. Naruto's mind was reeling. _What is going on? Who is she? What the fuck is going on? _He didn't need to ask.

"What the _FUCK_ is going on Sasuke?" The voice behind Naruto demanded.

He turned to look at the fuming red-haired girl who was storming up to them. His brain could not process the scene as it unfolded. The drummer was screaming at Sasuke, who stood leisurely against the wall nodding in a patronizing fashion. Naruto began to back away as the argument became more heated. He turned on the two band members and walked towards the stairs, he recognized Sasuke's raised voice and then heard the crisp sound of a palm against skin. Naruto paused for moment before continuing off the stage.

* * *

Naruto drove back home on auto pilot, he managed to navigate his way back through the unfamiliar neighborhoods to his part of town. When he arrived, he was relieved to find that his house was, for once, dark and empty.

He couldn't focus on any one thought, confusion and anger and guilt tore through him. There was a sizable pit growing in his stomach as his thoughts became clear – _I cheated on Sasuke. I cheated on Sasuke...with Sasuke_. Unfortunately this epiphany did nothing to clear up the emotions that were battling inside him.

Naruto was pacing through the house; up and down the hall, around the couch and through the kitchen. _How could I not tell it was him?_ Sure, the lighting was awful and Sasuke was dressed for the performance with ultra spiked hair and red contacts, but Naruto should have been able to recognize something – his voice, his smell, his taste. _It was like I was high on him, my brain just wasn't working_. Naruto tried to rationalize his behavior.

He stopped his nervous pacing and immediately felt his stomach clenching again. He had no way of releasing the tension that was building inside of him; he wanted to scream or punch something, hell he wanted to be punched.

Naruto moved back to the kitchen and reached into his liquor cabinet. He pulled out the bottle of tequila and spun the cap off. Naruto put the bottle to his lips and let the searing liquid fill his mouth. After two hard swallows he began to cough, he doubled over as the alcohol burned it's way down his throat. He suddenly remembered the last time he had drank tequila and in a fit of rage hurled the bottle across the room, the glass exploded against the far wall.

The blond leaned against the counter as he tried to regain some self control. _Self control – ha_. Clearly that was something that Naruto lacked. But he knew how unproductive this fury was and he pressed his tongue to the roof of his mouth as he breathed in, deep and steady. All respirations ceased when he heard a knock at the door.

Naruto clenched his jaw and managed a deep inhale before moving away from the counter. He walked to the door cautiously, there was not a single person that Naruto would want to see on the other side, save maybe Jiraiya. The white-haired pervert was not there.

The blond simply walked away from the open door, he offered no greeting and no invitation to enter. Sasuke took the fact that the door was not slammed in his face as invite enough and stepped into the house. He was still wearing the same clothes, but he had taken out the contacts and deflated his hair some.

"So that didn't go quite like I expected," Sasuke said casually.

Naruto stood with his back to the pale boy, his shoulders tensed as he contemplated the statement, "what had you expected? No, more importantly – why didn't you tell me?"

Sasuke shrugged, his face gave no sign of emotion, "I thought it would be more fun if you didn't know."

"More fun?" Naruto's brow furrowed, and he turned to face the pale boy, "what would be more fun?"

"Karin has been pestering me relentlessly for months. I have tried to let her down easy, but she couldn't take the hint...so I thought I would _show_ her I wasn't interested," the raven-haired boy still seemed unphased by the situation.

"So you planned this?" blue eyes slitted as Naruto spoke, "you didn't tell me...you expected me..." he began to piece together what had happened, "you _assumed_ I would try to hook up with you?"

"well, yeah," the dark-haired boy continued to speak with such indifference.

Naruto's tone grew incredulous, "but I didn't _know_ it was you," a tanned hand raked through blond hair, "oh my God...I am a slut."

"What?" Sasuke's voice finally showed interest.

"I _am_ a slut...and you...you expected me to be one!" Naruto's voice rose with the accusation.

"What the _hell_ are you talking about Naruto?" Now it was the pale boy who was confused.

"You...I..." Naruto's voice was straining as he tried to process everything, "you wanted somebody to blow you in front of that girl and I dropped to my knees like a common whore. But I didn't know it was you, I thought you were _him_. I went down on _him_," his tone became more exasperated, "Sasuke... I cheated on you."

Onyx eyes grew wide for only a moment. The blond's ramblings were beginning to make sense. Somehow in developing this rouse the thought had never occurred to him. Surely, on some level, Naruto must have known Sasuke was the front man for Taka.

"Come on Naruto, you mean to tell me that you _really_ didn't know it was me?" Sasuke queried, concern hidden by a patronizing tone.

Naruto's expression softened; his brow furrowed with guilt, and eyes pleading, "I want to say I did, that somewhere deep down I knew. But consciously...no, Sasuke. I really didn't know you were him."

And just like that the gravity of the situation came crashing down around Sasuke. He had put his trust in Naruto and the blond jumped a "stranger" without a second thought. Naruto had cheated on him...with him.


	21. Careless Words

**A/N: I am updating earlier in the day than normal because I am sick and have nothing better do. So I hope you enjoy! Thanks for all the reviews and support! **

**Warnings: Nothing but angst in this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, nor do I profit from this fic - unless you count the warm and fuzzies I get from all the reviews (thanks again).**

* * *

Sasuke's eyes grew cold and distant as he stared at the blond. Naruto's confession hung heavy and suffocating in the air between them. Somebody needed to speak, to break the silence before it became too overwhelming. Naruto lacked the courage and Sasuke was unable to form a coherent thought.

"Sasuke?" Naruto's voice was weak.

The sound of his name coming from Naruto's treacherous mouth snapped him back to reality, "what the _fuck_ Naruto?"

"Sasuke, I am so sor– " his apology was cut short.

"I _believed_ you when you said I meant something to you," Sasuke shook his head, the look of disbelief still fixed on his features, "you waxed all poetic about getting close to people and forming bonds. I thought you being genuine, but apparently your definition of _'close'_ is sucking dick."

Naruto inhaled sharply, Sasuke's stinging words penetrated his core, "fuck you!" the pale boy scoffed at the comment, "no..._no_, that is not fair."

"Not fair? What about you going to your knees for a complete stranger _is_ fair?" Sasuke began to raise his voice.

"Hey, I had no intention of approaching you tonight," Naruto countered, he pointed accusingly at the raven-haired boy, "you – _you_ were the one who had me brought backstage. You were the one who came on to _me_!"

"Are you fucking serious Naruto?" there was a cold laugh buried under the question.

"I should have left, I know that. But don't act like you didn't have a part to play. This whole thing was _your_ idea," the blond defended.

"So what? Just because somebody hits on you doesn't mean you are obligated to fuck them. I mean, Christ, do you make out with somebody if they hold a door for you?" Sasuke could feel he was losing his temper, that he could no longer filter his anger.

"No, I am just saying that I wouldn't have– " Naruto was cut off again.

"How often do you do this kind of thing? How long do you usually wait until you get into somebodies pants?" Sasuke huffed and rolled his eyes, bitterly he muttered, "great, now I am going to have to get tested."

Naruto bristled, he wouldn't stand for any more snide comments, "FUCK YOU!" he screamed.

"Not likely, but I am sure you can pick somebody up on the corner," the pale boy spat.

Tears began to form in the corners of Naruto's eyes, "get out of my fucking house!"

Sasuke's eyes slitted into a glare that burned through Naruto, he defied the order to a moment before he finally turning to leave. He didn't give the blond a second look as he slammed the door behind him. A few seconds passed and Naruto could hear tires screeching as Sasuke pulled away. Whatever it was that had been keeping Naruto upright, anger or perhaps pride, finally gave way and he collapsed. Tears streaked down his scarred cheeks and he cursed himself and Sasuke until choking sobs took over.

* * *

Alone his his cold loft, Sasuke stared out at the city. He couldn't see the stars with the light that radiated from the dense urban landscape, so instead he watched as street lights blinked and changed colors and headlights moved silently down the narrow corridors between highrises.

A sharp knock at the door caused the pale boy to jump. _Who the hell? _His brow furrowed, it was late and he was exhausted. He moved to the door and opened it with a scowl. Despite Sasuke's irritation, a thin eyebrow was raised at the man's presence.

"I really don't want to talk right now," Sasuke stated dryly.

"I don't give a shit," Suigetsu retorted.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and walked away from the door. He moved gracefully through the living space to the kitchen. Suigetsu followed, stopping next to a black leather chair.

"Water?" Sasuke was being an uncharacteristically attentive host.

Suigetsu nodded and deftly caught the bottle that was thrown in his direction, "so you wanna tell me about this stunt you pulled tonight?"

"No."

"Oh, I am sorry if that sounded like a question, let me rephrase. Tell me just what the _fuck_ you thought you were doing tonight."

Sasuke brought his own bottle to his lips and pulled the cold water into his mouth. A chill spread through his body as he drank, releasing the bottle Sasuke finally spoke, "you should be happy Suigetsu. Karin should finally back off me, you can have her all to yourself."

"You are such a dick," Suigetsu replied, his tone was less cold and more a matter of fact. Shaking his head he continued, "so who was this guy?" Sasuke shrugged in response, "just some fanboy?"

Sasuke shifted his gaze, "yeah."

Suigetsu watched the pale boy with scrutinizing stare as he took another drink of water, "funny, Karin got the impression that you knew each other."

The raven-haired boy huffed and muttered, "I thought I knew him."

There was something strange in Sasuke's tone and Suigetsu realized he was seeing a part of the pale boy that he had never been privy to before. Sasuke was upset – not irritated or annoyed, but _hurt_. He suddenly wished he had listened to the boy and not engaged him in this conversation.

Suigetsu shifted his weight uncomfortably, he had known Sasuke for years and yet this was uncharted territory, "what happened Sasuke?"

The raven-haired boy moved to the couch, falling gracefully onto the leather cushions. He regarded his platinum-haired companion for a few long minutes before he reluctantly recounted the evening's events. He detailed his devious plan and how it had played out; he explained how he had tricked Naruto into meeting him and baited Karin to discover the whole thing. Sasuke felt his stomach tense with anger as he repeated Naruto's confession, but the pit was replaced with a nervous fluttering when he described all the hurtful things he had said.

Suigetsu sat in quiet contemplation as Sasuke spoke. The dark-haired boy did a spectacular job at hiding the pain in his voice, but Suigetsu had no doubt that it was there – buried under the stoic facade. Suigetsu was torn; he had come over with every intention of telling Sasuke off, but finding him in this unnaturally vulnerable state – he couldn't bring himself to do it. What the bastard had done was conniving and spiteful, but it seemed he was already being punished.

"That blows Sasuke," Suigetsu squinted one eye as the poorly chosen words left him, "I mean... I'm sorry."

Sasuke looked away, he didn't want Suigetsu's pity – he damn sure didn't deserve it. The platinum-haired boy chewed his lip nervously, desperately trying to come up with some words of comfort. He inhaled as if to speak but decided against it. How does one respond in this twisted situation? "_Sorry your boyfriend did exactly what you wanted him to do."..."Yeah, Naruto may have cheated on you, but at least you know the guy."_

After trying out several responses in his head, Suigetsu finally spoke, "Naruto may have fucked up...but Sasuke, what _you_ did was fucked up too. You lied to him, you cornered him and then after you realized what happened, you ripped him apart."

"A lie of omission is hardly a lie," Sasuke defended with a cold tone.

Suigetsu huffed, "Sasuke, you have to admit your role in all of this – if not to him than at least to yourself."

The pale boy stared at Suigetsu, "are you taking his side?" he asked incredulously, "he cheated on me and you are taking _his_ side?"

"For Christ's sake Sasuke," the platinum-haired boy spat in irritation, "first off, I am not taking sides – I am merely offering an impartial observation. Secondly, and I think this is the most important fact – he didn't _actually_ cheat on you," Sasuke made to argue, but Suigetsu continued, "do you have any idea how absurd this whole thing is? Okay, maybe he _thought_ he was cheating on you – but he said himself that if it weren't for you coming on to him he would have walked out. You can't justify your anger towards Naruto when you were pulling the strings the whole time. I think your fucked up puppet show came back to bite you in the ass."

Sasuke looked at Suigetsu impassively. _He has a point_. Not that Sasuke would admit that aloud. Exhaustion was wearing the pale boy down. He just wanted to close his eyes and slip away from everything – the pain and anger and confusion. Sasuke offered his thanks and walked Suigetsu to the door.

"Oh and Sasuke," Suigetsu turned as he walked out the door, "When I get back to Karin, I am going to tell her I tore you a new asshole, so try to act pissy the next time we meet – shouldn't be hard for you."

Sasuke shut the door on the smirking boy and moved to his bedroom. Slowly and contemplatively he undressed and slipped under the covers. The bed seemed colder than normal and he shuddered as he rolled onto his side. His consciousness slipped under the comforting emptiness of sleep and Sasuke's body finally, after hours of tension, relaxed.

* * *

Naruto trudged to the door late Sunday morning, he turned the knob and stared in confusion when it didn't open. After a moment of processing, Naruto flipped the deadbolt – he had locked the door to ensure no unwelcome guests pestered him while he was recovering from his fight with Sasuke. He pulled the door open and squinted as the bright sun hit his tired eyes.

"I forgot my iPod," Gaara stated blandly as he walked into the house.

Naruto shut the door and shuffled back to the living room, flopping down on the couch. Gaara wandered around the house as he searched unsuccessfully. He returned from the kitchen and scanned the room for Naruto. A shock of yellow hair directed him to the couch.

"Have you seen it Naru– " he stopped when he finally looked at the blond.

Naruto was laying limp on the couch, a distant gaze fixed on the ceiling. His normally vivid blue eyes were dull and bloodshot. His tear stained cheeks were, like the rest of his complexion, pasty. Slowly he shifted his eyes to Gaara and his impassive mask lifted to reveal pain and desperation.

"Fuck, Naruto. What happened?" the red head moved to the couch and brought the blond to his lap as he sat down.

"Sasuke," Naruto's voice cracked.

Gaara stroked the soft blond hair as Naruto told the story of the concert and subsequent fight. He fought back the tears that threatened to break free as he described what he had done and what Sasuke had said. His face was contorted in pain as he spoke, it was an expression so few people had ever seen – Naruto at his most vulnerable, before he was able to plaster on a phony grin or let time soften the hurt.

"Gaara," Naruto reached up and stroked the red head's cheek, he ran his thumb across the pale pink lips, softly he continued "...stay with me."

* * *

**A/N: One of my better cliffhangers I think. **

**And now for some shameless self promossion - if you haven't seen it already, I have posted a one shot "Alone in Our Room". It is pretty angsty, so it may not be much of a reprieve from this chapter, but there is a nice lemon prize in it. Check it out and let me know what you think, it is my first SasuNaru and my first time writing in first person/present tense.**


	22. Finding Answers

**A/N: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! I'm glad that so many people are enjoying this fic, it makes me feel all squishy inside.**

**Warnings: Nothing explicit here, just some good ol' fashioned plot building.**

**Disclaimer: I had a dream the other night where I owned Naruto... oh the things I did... and then I woke up.

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Sasuke entered the classroom on Monday and was disappointed to see Naruto had not yet arrived. He sat down near the door and watched anxiously as the students filtered in. The class began to quiet as Kakashi prepared for his lecture, but the blond had yet to be seen. He never showed.

The dark-haired boy made his way up to the lab and sat at their station, once again eagerly awaiting Naruto. A scowl grew as Iruka entered the room and took attendance. After all the other groups had began work on their projects the TA approached Sasuke.

"Naruto emailed me this morning, he said he wasn't feeling well," Iruka sounded a little irritated, but continued, "don't worry, he turned in his portion of the assignment. You can't really work without him, but you are far enough along with your project to start writing your abstract, unless you need him for that."

"I don't need him," Sasuke replied coldly.

_If only that were true. _ The pale boy had spent his Sunday trying to convince himself that he was better off without Naruto. He wanted to believe this was for the best – that this was the indisputable proof he needed to know, without a doubt, that he was better off alone. But from the moment he woke up Sunday morning he felt hollow. Knowing that Naruto was out there hurting and alone because of him, caused a pain that was unfamiliar to the Uchiha – guilt.

Sasuke focused on his work, using it to distract him from his self induced misery. Time passed quickly and it felt as if he had just started writing when students began to leave. Looking around a little bewildered, the raven-haired boy gathered up his belongings and left the building. His feet moved on their own as he made his way across the campus. He didn't even notice when he crossed the street, leaving the university and entering the adjacent neighborhood.

He finally snapped back to reality when he realized he was standing in front of a familiar yellow house, a silver Jetta sitting in the driveway. He blinked rapidly before continuing to the door. He had no idea what he was going to say, he had no speech prepared or scenario worked out. He gave three short knocks and waited. The seconds seemed to crawl by as the door went unanswered. Sasuke raised his hand to knock again when he heard the lock flip.

He wet his lips nervously as the door was slowly pulled open. His breaths came faster and faster until they stopped completely when the door opened to reveal Gaara on the other side. The red head stared out at him, his eyes cold and expressionless. He had no shirt on and his jogging pants rode low on his hips, Sasuke couldn't help but notice the trail of dark hair that traveled up from the hem in the front of the pants. It was _quite_ obvious that the only thing separating Gaara's naked form from Sasuke was a very thin layer of material.

Sasuke squared his shoulders and lifted his chin in a display of dominance, "I want to talk to Naruto."

"He's asleep," Gaara replied, then with a smug expression added, "he's all tuckered out from last night."

There was an exchange of icy glares and Gaara leaned out the door slightly, he spoke with a low voice, "I really ought to thank you Sasuke. Naruto _was_ quite smitten with you, but it seems like now I might have another chance with him."

"Another chance at what Gaara? To use him until you grow bored and abandon him again?" his voice was laced with venom, "don't pretend you love him, its clearly not in your nature."

Gaara's eyes slitted into a dangerous glare, "I could say the same about you."

"Gaara?" Naruto's tired voice came drifting down the hall behind the door.

The red head leaned back into the house and turned toward the bedroom, "I'm coming, Naruto," he called out before turning back to Sasuke with a smirk, "ooh, I like the sound of that. I'm _cumming_ Naruto," he repeated in a husky tone, staring provocatively at the pale boy.

Sasuke bristled as the door was promptly shut in his face. He continued to glare at the door for a moment before he turned to leave. Once again his let his body move him without regard to his destination.

* * *

Sasuke found himself in the student union, no doubt the result of his empty and neglected stomach. But he moved past the cafeteria to the quieter sitting areas. He entered a large room with couches, chairs and tables scattered throughout. Lone students reclined in chairs reading or writing, some laid sprawled out on the couches fast asleep. A few groups sat huddled around tables, conversing quietly.

Obsidian eyes scanned the room. Sasuke thought he was looking for a place to sit, but when he noticed a familiar pink head he realized why he was there. It was dumb luck that had led the pale boy to Sakura. He moved to the group of graduate students who were engaged in a heated discussion.

"Sakura," his voice penetrated the group.

The pink-haired girl's smile immediately fell from her face as she turned to see who had addressed her, "what do you want?"

"Can I talk to you?" Sasuke refused to acknowledge the several pairs of eyes that were focused on him.

"I have nothing to say to you," she replied coldly, turning away.

Sasuke pursed his lips, "I need your help."

The girl turned back toward the pale boy, "why would I help you?" Sakura spat, she waited for a response and smirked when she received none, "tell you what Sasuke, I will help you...if you beg."

"What?" he ground out.

"Beg."

The air between them was electric and the other students found themselves mesmerized as the two stared at each other in defiant silence.

Sakura sat back in her chair and relaxed her posture, demonstrating just how little she was threatened by him, "do you love him Sasuke?" she asked with obvious doubt, "because I have no reason to help you unless you love him. And if you do love Naruto then you should have no problem begging for my help."

The pale boy took a step back and Sakura smirked with satisfaction. It was a dirty trick and Sakura knew it, there was no way the Uchiha would take the kind of hit to his pride that begging would require. She turned away from him again and regarded the shocked and amused faces that stared back at her.

"Sakura, please," the pink-haired girl stiffened at the meek voice. She turned to find Sasuke on his knees, his shoulders slumped and head down, "I don't want to him to hurt because of me. Please help me fix this."

Sakura sputtered, shock written plainly across her face. Slowly she slid off her chair and knelt down next to the raven-haired boy. She reached out and touched his shoulder, he lifted his head and peered up at her sea foam eyes. She studied his onyx orbs, there was no trace of the arrogance and apathy that had been present when they first met. These eyes were filled with remorse and loneliness. She offered a kind smile and took the pale boy by the hand. Together they stood and Sakura picked up her bag, she said her goodbyes and walked out with Sasuke.

* * *

Sakura brought the raven-haired boy to her office. She offered him a seat on the couch and shut the door behind him. A single window was the only source of light until Sakura turned on a floor lamp to warm up the cold room – she hated fluorescent lights and refused to use the ceiling fixture.

"I have known Naruto since he was a freshman," she began as she sat down next to Sasuke, a soft yet serious expression on her face, "and I have been studying him for almost as long as I have known him. He is an extraordinary person Sasuke. You realize that?" The pale boy nodded, and Sakura continued, "good. I think I made a breakthrough with him the other day and I am going to tell you what I think makes him tick."

"Okay," Sasuke replied his voice strangely soft.

Sakura pushed a pink strand of hair behind her ear and spoke with a stern tone, "as a result of Naruto's abuse, Jiraiya tried to instill certain values in him. The first was that he should not fear people or shy away from them, he needs to have faith in the goodness of people. Second was that if you care about somebody you show it with affection and that physical intimacy is an important part of a romantic bond."

She paused, her expression somewhat cautious, "when somebody experiences what Naruto did, they often develop... unhealthy attitudes about sex. Jiraiya tried to help Naruto understand what is normal and healthy, but... some damage cannot be undone. Over time, Naruto came to accept Jiraiya's message but parts of it got a little jumbled – maybe just as a misinterpretation or maybe as a result of Naruto trying to protect himself," she paused again to ensure her statement had completely sank in before continuing, "physical intimacy is a broken concept for Naruto, it doesn't mean the same thing to him as it does to us. He understands it is something you use to form a bond with people, but its _symbolic_ meaning is lost to him. Opening up emotionally is a much bigger deal, because he has so much buried – and that is where his true intimacy comes from."

Sakura gave the pale boy another moment of contemplation, "now, in the case of his perceived... _slutiness_... I think he is a virile young man with a healthy load of hormones and a skewed idea of what it means to 'form bonds with people'."

Sasuke looked perplexed, he opened his mouth to speak and shut it again before he said something he might regret. Sakura read his reaction with perfect understanding and pursed her lips, she glanced away from the pale boy as she formulated her thoughts.

"Don't get me wrong," she returned her gaze to Sasuke, "I am not excusing what he did, nor am I saying that he cannot control his impulses. Trust me when I tell you he knows the difference between getting his rocks off and showing somebody he cares."

"The take away message here is that Naruto engages in physical intimacy like anybody else would have a nice, quiet conversation. It is his way of getting close to people and demonstrating his affection while maintaining a comfortable distance from them – because emotional attachment means so much more to him. Where most people engage others emotionally first and physically later, Naruto has reversed it."

Sasuke nodded, "so does it mean anything when he..." the raven-haired boy trailed off.

Sakura smiled and chuckled softly, "fucks somebody?" Sasuke shrugged, "actually, yes it does. Despite how freely he may engage in _other_ activities, sex is very special to him."

"So where does that leave me?" Sasuke sounded deflated, as if Sakura had pulled the air out him with her explanation.

She smiled, and tweaked her eyebrows with something akin to pity, "you...are very special to him. He opened up to you and wanted you to open up to him. Before anything else, he wanted to connect with you emotionally. That is pretty much unprecedented, at least as far as I know."

"What do I do now? How do I fix this?" under any other circumstance, the pale boy would have been embarrassed at the weakness in his voice.

Sakura chewed her lip for a second and her eyes lit when she finally spoke, "you need to engage him emotionally. Prove to him that you are willing to put yourself out there. If you can share something intimate that has nothing to do with sex, he will know you care."

Sasuke furrowed his brow, "What am I supposed to tell him? That I...love him?"

Sakura shrugged, "well that is a good start...but this needs to be bigger than that. You need to give him part of yourself, a part that you don't share with anybody else."

Sasuke shifted his gaze and looked to the floor contemplatively. After a moment he heaved a sigh and lifted himself to his feet. Thanking Sakura for her help he turned to the door, his hand on the knob he turned back to the pink-haired girl.

She smiled, "this is all very new," she spoke as if she were reading his mind, "you and Naruto... the closeness you share. You can get it back if you try, you just have to be strong."

The pale boy nodded and turned the handle. _Strong_, he pondered the word as he walked out.


	23. Absolution

**A/N: Thanks to all my readers - you have been so supportive! To show my appreciation you are going to get a bonus chapter today!**

**Warnings: I'm savin' up my lemons, gonna make a lemon pie, lemon bars, lemonade...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, why you gotta rub it in?

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He was doing it again – slipping his hand between Gaara's legs, kneading the responsive piece of flesh found there. The red head swallowed hard and moved the hand back to his chest. Naruto was huddled against him, burying his face into Gaara's side. The last 24 hours Gaara had spent with Naruto had been excruciating; the blond had been coming on to him relentlessly and Gaara could only say 'no' so many times.

He wanted Naruto, every fiber of his being screamed to be filled by the blond, but he refused to make a move while Naruto was in this state. He didn't want to take advantage of the boy's vulnerable condition and risk Naruto regretting his actions or blaming Gaara for allowing _things_ to happen; but more than that, he didn't want to feel like a consolation prize.

If Gaara was going to accept Naruto's advances he wanted to know it was because the blond wanted _him_, not just because he wanted _somebody_. Gaara would be happy to fill the hole that Sasuke had left, but Naruto was not ready yet. And so Gaara sat, with a solid resolve, and allowed the blond to hold him – but nothing more.

When he heard a knock on the door for a second time the red head was relieved, he needed to get a little space from Naruto before he lost control. Gaara made his way down the hall and ruffled his own hair quickly before flipping the lock and cracking the door. He peered out and smiled when he saw a friendly face.

Sakura smiled up at him, "is he still asleep?"

Gaara shrugged, "drifting in and out."

"I need to talk to you for a minute," she said softly and motioned for him to join her outside.

The red head slipped a jacket over his naked torso and stepped out into the cold. He bounced on the balls of his bare feet as Sakura shut the door behind him.

"Sasuke came to see me," she stated bluntly.

Gaara rolled his eyes, "yeah he stopped by here earlier but I got rid of him."

"He asked for my help... and I talked to him," she kept her voice quiet but eyes stern.

"What the hell Sakura?" Gaara struggled to maintain a low tone.

"I know, I know," she put her hands up in defense, "but Gaara, I am a damn good judge of people and he was sincere," she paused and bit her lip, "he loves him, Gaara. Sasuke loves Naruto."

"Jesus," the red head huffed, "how long have we known each other and you just stabbed me in that back."

Sakura looked at Gaara with a disapproving glare, "don't be a fucking drama queen Gaara. This isn't about you, its about Naruto and what _he_ needs," her tone softened, "I know you care about him but he deserves somebody that truly _loves_ him and we both know that person is not you."

Gaara shifted his eyes from the pink-haired girl, staring down at his bare feet with a look of serious contemplation. He wrapped his arms around his chest as cold chill traveled through his pale frame.

Reluctantly he lifted his gaze back to Sakura, "I wish I could."

Sakura placed her hands on Gaara's arms and rubbed them in a comforting gesture, "I know you do. But that is not enough, not anymore," Gaara nodded, "so I need you to be a good boy and behave until this whole thing gets sorted out."

Gaara rolled his eyes and shivered again, "if I promise to keep my dick in my pants can we go back inside."

Sakura smiled and opened the door, she followed him inside and took a seat on the couch. Gaara slipped off his jacket and moved back down the hall.

"You have company you lazy ass, get out here!" he yelled to Naruto.

A few seconds later a very disheveled blond staggered into the living room sporting only plaid pajama bottoms and an apologetic smile. Gaara followed, wearing a shirt for the first time all day.

"Now that he is in good hands I am going to take a walk, maybe pick up some pizza," the red head stated as he put on his shoes.

In truth, Gaara was thankful Sakura showed up when she did, he didn't know how much of Naruto's fondling he could take before giving in. A brisk walk was exactly what he needed at the moment. Naruto looked back at him from his spot on the couch, staring with shining sapphire eyes and Gaara was drawn to him. Gaara placed a chaste kiss on the blond's forehead; he pulled away with a slight upturn to his lips. As he turned to leave the smile fell into a frown, he felt a twinge of pain in his chest as Sakura's words returned to him.

Alone on the couch Naruto snuggled up to the pink-haired girl. She smiled and put an arm around his shoulders. He wrapped an arm around her waist and rested his head against her shoulder.

"Why...?" Naruto's voice cracked quietly.

Sakura frowned at the unfinished question, "people do incredibly stupid things when they are hurt. Especially when they have never felt something so strong."

"Felt what?" he tilted his head up.

She offered a small smile as her eyes met his, "love...," her smile faltered as she added, "and betrayal."

They sat in silence for a quite a while, their quiet respirations the only sound filling the space. Naruto did not sob, his breathing did not pick up, he did not sniffle – but the warm, wet sensation on Sakura's skin gave him away.

Naruto nuzzled into her neck, pink hair tickling his face and whispered her name. Hot breath and moist lips caressed her flesh but Sakura ignored it. The soft lips became more persistent and Sakura shrugged away from the subtle kisses her neck was receiving. Undaunted, Naruto pressed further – burying his face in her neck and slipping his hand under the hem of her shirt.

"Naruto," her voice came out much too soft and it only served to encourage the blond.

He continued to whisper her name as his kisses became increasingly aggressive. The sensation threatened to shatter Sakura's will, and she groaned as she pushed him away.

"No," she scolded, pointing at him. She felt like she was punishing an adorable puppy, the idea was only amplified by the sad eyes the blond gave her.

Sakura was suddenly very impressed with Gaara, he had managed to fend off these advances for over a day – hell, over night. Naruto huffed and laid back on the couch, Sakura offered an amused smile and hit him in the stomach with a pillow. _Sasuke had better hurry up_.

* * *

Tuesday's classes were short one Uchiha as the pale boy decided to take the day to find a way to talk to Naruto. Sasuke considered trying his house again but decided better of it, fighting with Gaara seemed counterproductive. Whether it was good or bad, Sasuke was not a good stalker and he didn't want to just stand around waiting for the blond to appear. He decided to give Naruto's work a try, if he got the blond's schedule than at least he wouldn't have to wait in the cold, hoping to catch him in the parking lot.

"I'm sorry, but I can't give that information out," Hinata replied softly.

"I would like Naruto to give me another tour, but I need to know his schedule so I can make plans," the raven-haired boy rephrased his question, hoping to get a different answer.

"I understand that, but you are going to have to make those arrangements with him, I am not allowed to give out employee schedules," her voice was quiet but firm.

"Is there a problem Hinata?" a tall brunet approached stealthily.

"No Shikamaru, thank you. Sasuke here just wants to schedule–"

"Sasuke?" Shikamaru stiffened and turned to the dark-haired boy.

"Do I know you?" the pale boy asked with obvious irritation.

"I will escort him out Hinata," the brunet wrapped a slender hand around the back of Sasuke's neck and pushed the boy away from the reception desk.

Sasuke tried to resist, but Shikamaru's grip was surprisingly firm. The raven-haired boy was pushed out with quite a bit of force and the brunet shut the door quickly behind them.

Shikamaru was normally a man of very few words, but he felt the need to use a couple on Sasuke, "stay away from Naruto and stay away from here."

"Look, I just need to talk to him," Sasuke protested as he straightened himself out.

"He doesn't want to talk to you," was the cold reply.

"Well than he can tell me that himself," the pale boy spat and then took a calming breath, "I just need a chance to fix this, Sakura said– "

"You talked to Sakura?" Shikamaru's normally bored tone piqued with interest.

Sasuke's eyes brightened a little, "yes, we talked and she helped me sort some things out. Now I need to talk to him, but I can't see him at home because of Gaara."

"What do you plan on saying?" the brunet asked as he leaned against the glass wall.

The raven-haired boy huffed, he didn't like the idea of bearing his soul to anybody, let alone a stranger, "this is beyond who was right and who was wrong, it is even beyond apologizing – though I do plan on doing that," Sasuke paused, it was so hard to find the right words and even harder to force them out – but he was going to have to get comfortable articulating these ideas if he planned on talking to Naruto. Slowly and contemplatively he continued, "I cannot ignore the potential in what was starting to form between me and Naruto. I will not give that up without a fight."

"And what? You were planning on finding out his work schedule and then pouncing on him in the parking lot?" Shikamaru lifted an eyebrow as he teased the pale boy.

"Well..." Sasuke trailed off and shrugged.

"How troublesome," the brunet pushed off the wall and grabbed his phone from his pocket.


	24. Boy's Night Out

**A/N: Thank you once again for the wonderful reviews. I know many of you are wondering what Sasuke plans to do to get back on Naruto's good side... well here you go. Oh and sorry for the late post, please forgive me.**

**Warnings: Nothing explicit here... just you wait.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing accept the plot, also Sasuke does not own "Lovesong" by The Cure**

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"Oh, yeah...oooh right there," Naruto murmured into the crook of his arm as he was worked from behind, "harder..._harder_...yeah, just like that."

Gaara rolled his eyes at the blond's ridiculous, pleasure filled moans. Sakura seemed to share the sentiment as she looked up at the red head from her perch atop Naruto's ass. She continued to knead the tight muscles in the blond's back, but not before slapping him across the back of his head. He chuckled, and after 48 hours of quiet muttering and pained whispers, the sound of Naruto laughing was melodious. Vibration against her hip caused Sakura to lift herself off the tanned boy, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and stood up as she read the caller ID.

"Hello?" Sakura answered, "oh really?" her voice picked up and she turned away from the blond on the floor, a slew of questions came from the other end, "yeah he did...uh huh...yeah, actually I do. Okay...so what did you have in mind?" Sakura listened and nodded, she turned back to Naruto who had rolled over to watch her, "okay...yeah that sounds good," she laughed lightly, "I'll make sure he is ready." Another few seconds and Sakura flipped her phone shut, "Kiba and Shika are taking you out tonight, you need to be ready by six."

It wasn't a question, there was no argument – this was going to happen and there was nothing Naruto could do about it. Sakura looked at the clock, it was just past 4:00 pm – they had plenty of time. She reached her hand out and hoisted the blond up off the floor. She pushed him down the hall, looking back at Gaara with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Get yourself cleaned up, we want you to be presentable to the public," she smiled and shoved him into the bathroom.

Gaara followed the pink-haired girl as she moved to Naruto's bedroom. She began to sift through his closet; pulling out shirts, examining and replacing them. She pulled out a long sleeved western-style button up and smiled approvingly. Sakura tossed the shirt to the red head and moved on to Naruto's dresser.

"So what is the plan? What are we doing?" Gaara asked as he shook out the fabric he had inadvertently crumpled when he caught the shirt.

"Not really sure, but I know that _we_ are not invited," she pulled a pair of stone-washed jeans from the drawer.

It was almost five o'clock by the time Naruto left the sanctuary of his bathroom. The extra long bath had given him time to recover from an emotionally exhausting two days and he felt refreshed. He entered his room and smiled at the clothes that had been laid out for him. He slipped into a pair of gray and orange striped boxers and then into the jeans. The shirt was fitted and the hem wrapped around his hips in a way that complimented his ass. He left the top few buttons undone and began to roll up the sleeves as he walked back into the living room.

Sakura beamed when she saw him, this was the Naruto she knew. The white shirt with a light blue plaid print brought out his stunning azure eyes and his shaggy blond spikes gave him a relaxed appearance. Naruto suddenly felt as if he had an audience, two sets of greens eyes on him; he turned slowly and awaited approval. Sakura whistled and Naruto flipped her off when he was facing her again.

"So where are we going?" he asked as he moved to the couch.

Sakura sat down in the adjacent chair, "actually we cannot go."

"Oh?" Naruto looked a little hurt.

"Sorry sweetie, but I have papers to grade and since I didn't do them yesterday..." she trailed off and he nodded understandingly.

"What about you Gaara?" he turned and faced the red head.

Gaara sat with a blank stare for a moment, "actually I thought if you were going out I could hit my place, you know take a shower and get some fresh clothes."

Naruto's immediate reaction was offense, feeling that Gaara _wanted_ to leave him. After a moment of contemplation he smiled, "I guess I have sort of commandeered you for the last couple days. Its cool, I don't mind if you wanna take the night for yourself. I'll be alright."

Small talk filled the time until six o'clock rolled around. A knock prompted Naruto to stand, but the door opened before he had a chance to move towards it.

"Why the hell would you knock Shika?" Kiba exclaimed as he and Shikamaru entered the house, "its fucking _Naruto's_ house, nobody knocks."

_Tell me about it_, Naruto rolled his eyes. His annoyed expression was quickly replaced by a grin as Kiba slapped him on the back and led him out of the house. He looked back to wave goodbye to his guests and was slightly perturbed by their expressions. Gaara appeared to be forcing a smile while Sakura's grin was a little too big, her eyes a little too bright.

"You hungry Naruto?" Kiba asked as they walked to Shikamaru's car.

The blond smiled, "always."

* * *

Ichiraku Ramen Bar topped Naruto's list of favorite restaurants, it was the special meal he treated himself to whenever he felt he was deserving – like when he aced a test, completed a project on his house or - as it was in this case - survived a crappy day.

After sucking down three good sized bowls of miso ramen, Naruto was feeling quite content. He was nursing his fourth bowl when he noticed Shikamaru check his phone _again_.

"You expecting a call?" Naruto asked between slurps.

Kiba shot Shikamaru a glare from across the table, "sorry, just checking the time."

"And?" the blond shoveled more noodles into his mouth.

"It is a little past seven," he replied in a bland tone.

Naruto finally pushed away his bowl, "do we have some place to be?"

Shikamaru simply shrugged as he got up to pay the bill, Kiba and Naruto followed. They drove back to the other side of campus, towards Naruto's house, but they did not enter his neighborhood. Instead they drove to a public parking lot and climbed out into the cold, dark night.

Naruto recognized the route from the parking lot to his favorite bar and smiled as he saw the familiar pub come into sight. The three boys stopped in front of the building, Naruto hesitated for a moment before pulling open the door. The last time he was here was when he took Sasuke to karaoke and..._ah fuck._

"Its Tuesday isn't it?" he asked, slightly annoyed.

Kiba offered a nervous grin, "what? You love karaoke night."

Naruto shifted his gaze between his friends and heaved a sigh, he was sure they meant well.

* * *

They moved downstairs, Shikamaru went to the bar to get some drinks and Kiba guided Naruto to an empty table in front of the stage where a girl was currently butchering "Love is a Battlefield". There was a good crowd tonight and the performances offered a decent variety. It was a given that some of the songs would be better than others, but nothing caused Naruto's ears to bleed so the night could be considered a success.

Naruto was finishing his beer when the house lights went down, he looked to his companions who exchanged glances with each other. A spot light flashed on, illuminating the stage and for a reason he could not place, Naruto suddenly felt very nervous.

The music began with a bass line and drums, he recognized the song just as the guitar came in. His eyes widen when the silky voice came over the speakers. The blond was hit with realization, like a tidal wave – sweeping him away, and Kiba placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"_**Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am home again  
Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am whole again"**_

The raven-haired boy stepped out from behind the projection screen and Naruto's heart began to race; the blond could feel the blood surge through him with every beat, causing his temperature to rise. The pale boy stood as he waited for the next line and Naruto absorbed the sight of him. He was wearing black slacks and an open black vest, a skinny tie hung loosely from his neck, his deep indigo shirt with the sleeves rolled up contrasted against his alabaster skin.

_**"Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am young again  
Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am fun again"  
**_

Sasuke's expression was soft as he walked up to the front of the stage and the spot light amplified his pale and perfect features. This was not the emo god that Naruto had seen before, this boy was real – flesh and blood and faults.

_**"However far away I will always love you, however long I stay I will always love you  
Whatever words I say I will always love you, I will always love you"  
**_

He stood for a moment, staring unabashedly at Naruto before moving toward the edge of the stage. The blond was frozen in place but his eyes followed Sasuke's movements with a nervous anticipation. The pale boy stepped down and began to walk through the audience, drifting ethereally between tables. His voice never faltered, it continued to entrance Naruto. In fact the entire room seemed to be mesmerized, nobody moved or spoke as Sasuke approached the blond.

_**"Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am free again  
Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am clean again"**_

Now only a few feet in front of Naruto, Sasuke gracefully knelt before the blond.

_**"However far away I will always love you, however long I stay I will always love you  
Whatever words I say I will always love you, I will always love you"**_

As the music faded away, their eyes locked, azure and onyx burning into each other. Naruto's lips were parted and ragged breaths passed through them as his senses slowly returned to him. All eyes were fixed on the two boys, waiting to see what would happen next.

Naruto clenched his hands into tight fists, relaxed them and took a deep breath. With lightning speed his hand reached out and made contact with Sasuke's skin. The sound of the hard slap resonated throughout the room along with a few scattered gasps. Kiba moved to grab Naruto, but Shikamaru held him back. The force of the strike had caused Sasuke's head to turn, slowly he returned it to face Naruto again. He thought those cobalt eyes would be cold and full of rage, but instead they were shimmering with something between pain and doubt. That somehow seemed appropriate to Sasuke; after all he had hurt Naruto badly – how the hell could he be expected to believe this display of affection.

After another long moment of staring, trying desperately to peer into each other, Naruto slipped off his chair so that he too was on his knees. He reached out slowly, his fingertips trailing the red skin where his hand had first made contact. Naruto's brow was furrowed, a thousand questions swirling through his mind, but he managed to silence them in favor of one.

"Sasuke?" it meant everything and nothing at once.

The pale boy only nodded, whatever the question could mean he was sure the answer was "yes". Naruto's breath hitched just before he plunged in, crashing his lips against Sasuke's. The moment was too intense for Naruto to process the meaning of his actions. He didn't care if _should_ still be mad, if perhaps he forgave too easily. The solution to the pain in his heart was right in front of him and he would be a fool to push it away.

The feverish embrace garnered an applause from their unintended audience. Laughter began to rise in Naruto's chest and he finally pulled away. He looked at Sasuke with renewed affection and the pale boy returned the gaze with his own relieved expression.

Sasuke leaned in and spoke with a soft voice, "let's get out of here, I have something I want to tell you."

Naruto nodded and took the pale boy's hand to stand, he didn't let go as they made their way out of the bar.


	25. Weakness

**A/N: You asked for more of Sasuke's angstlicious back story... well here it is!**

**Warnings: Some darker themes, but nothing too disturbing**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto D:**

* * *

The drive to Sasuke's loft was made in silence, save the music that quietly emanated from the car speakers. Naruto leaned back in his seat as he watched the buildings become taller and more sleek. He never really spent much time downtown, the high rises and dense spaces were too claustrophobic for him. He watched idly as streetlights whizzed by and felt as the engine revved and settled each time Sasuke shifted gears.

They pulled into the underground parking structure and stopped near the entrance. The pale boy offered Naruto a small smile before leaving the car, the blond heaved a sigh and opened the door. As he moved to get a out he saw a hand extended to him, Naruto took it and held tightly as he was hoisted out of the car.

The walk through the cold night was short and before Naruto really had a chance to get his bearings on the street, he was inside the lobby. It was another short wait for the elevator and the subsequent ride up to the top floor – all done in silence.

Sasuke gestured for Naruto to have a seat on the couch while he went to the kitchen for a bottle of water. Naruto looked around the room; it was cool, not cold necessarily, modern and opulent – it suited Sasuke well. The blond's gaze lingered on the drum set across the room and unpleasant memories began to replay in his mind, but he pushed them back in favor of moving forward. The raven-haired boy stood in the kitchen for a moment, watching Naruto and thinking about what he was about to reveal. He thought about what Sakura had said – that he needed to be strong to save this relationship, the irony was not lost on him.

He returned to Naruto and took a seat next to him on the couch; folding one leg up and leaving the other to hang off the cushion, he turned to the blond. Naruto's eyes were still fixed on a single point and Sasuke followed the gaze to find it terminate on the bass drum. He frowned, wondering what Naruto might be thinking, but he shook the thought and cleared his throat to garner the blond's attention.

"I want to share something with you Naruto, but in order to put it in context there are some things you need to know about my family," the pale boy said, his eyes slowly drifting over to meet Naruto's.

The blond looked back with some confusion, "okay."

Sasuke sighed deeply, his expression weighed down with dread, "only a handful of people know what I am about to tell you, but nothing will make sense without it."

"Go ahead," Naruto responded softly.

"My parents were killed...by my brother," he paused and waited for a response, Naruto was clearly shocked but did not interrupt, "Itachi was...disturbed. My parents knew this, but they did nothing about it – I think they thought it was a phase or a cry for attention, or maybe they just didn't care. Even though I was young, I knew he wasn't right. He spent so much time by himself, secluded in his room. A couple times I went to see him and he would just be laying on the floor, staring and unresponsive."

Sasuke paused as if he was considering how to proceed, "One time I crept into his room and he was on the floor, like normal...except he was naked, holding a sharpened letter opener. I watched he cut himself... I remember the way he shuddered when his skin broke – like every slice was a caressing touch. I stood there until I couldn't watch anymore and finally left.

"I had no idea what to make of this, I went to my mom but I didn't know the right words. I told her that Itachi was sad and alone and she said not to worry, that he would get better. But he didn't get better, I mean, how could he? My parents did nothing, fucking _nothing_ to help him," there was pain evident in his voice, despite how much he tried to hide it. Long forgotten – repressed – emotions were welling up inside him.

"I was getting ready for school one day and Itachi came out of his room. He knelt down to me, looked me in the eye and told me to be strong... to get stronger and he kissed me," Sasuke paused and touched his forehead with the memory, "I was picked up for school that morning and my parents and brother were left alone together for the last time," onyx eyes hardened, becoming even colder than Naruto would have ever thought possible, "they were stabbed; my father first and then my mother. Itachi slit his wrists and bled out in his room.

"Itachi left a note in which he explained his actions," Sasuke blinked and his eyes softened when they returned to the azure orbs that were trained on him, "he said this was not an act of anger or hate, he was not on drugs – this was a decision he made with a clear mind. He was freeing our parents and himself from the shells of humans they had become – those were the words he used – _shells_. Itachi believed that any indication of happiness was only superficial – inside they were empty, hollow – like him. He wanted to give me a chance, an opportunity to live a _real_ life, to not become like them. Itachi killed my parents and himself_for_ me."

There was a long silence, Naruto reached out and put his hand over Sasuke's. It was a small gesture, but in the moment it meant everything to the raven-haired boy. Sasuke stared down at his overlapped hand and smiled inwardly. Any reservations he may have held dissipated and he returned his gaze to Naruto's.

"I told you that, to tell you this," his eyes were still intensely dark, "what I said about Orochimaru is true, but its only half the reason why I act like I do. He said caring about people would distract me, but that never really bothered me since I wasn't driven to success like he was. Orochimaru also told me that caring for people made me weak and _that_ scared the hell out of me.

"The last words Itachi ever spoke to me were about strength, about how I need to be strong in order to survive. I need to be strong so I don't succumb to the same hollowing illness of so many family members," there was a pause and Sasuke sighed as if ashamed, "you see Itachi wasn't the only one with a problem. Mental illness runs rampant through my family – paranoia, manic depression, schizophrenia – you were lucky if you were just sociopathic, at least then you could pretend to be normal," Sasuke spoke lightly of the topic, but his eyes were serious, "Naruto, I am afraid. Of my past and my future... of myself. I don't think I am sick, but I have tried really hard to keep away from others just to be safe. I don't need anything to weaken me, to make me susceptible to those demons. But you..." he huffed, "I couldn't keep you out. Some sort of star-crossed lovers bullshit."

Naruto smiled softly, he reached out and cupped Sasuke's cheek in his hand. The pale boy leaned into the touch, letting his eyelids droop slightly.

"Why do our lives have to be defined by tragedy?" the blond asked quietly.

Sasuke's lids dropped completely and he sighed. He lifted his head off the tan hand and returned his attention to the cobalt eyes, "I don't think we have been defined by tragedy. I think tragedy has prepared us for each other."

Naruto blinked, then slowly his lips curled up into something between a smile and a smirk, "that is so cheesy Sasuke. God, I hope you don't write Taka's songs."

Naruto chuckled and Sasuke pursed his lips. The blond's smile faltered after a moment and his eyes became more solemn as they inadvertently returned to the drum set. The raven-haired boy recognized the change in demeanor and shifted his gaze away, biting his lip.

"I'm sorry Naruto," he murmured and finally brought his eyes back, "I shouldn't have said those things. I guess...I was shocked. Not just by what happened but how it made me feel. I have never felt like that before."

Naruto leaned in, pressing his forehead gently against the pale boy's, "I know. I'm sorry too, I never meant to– "

The blond was cut off by fingertips grazing his cheek, he focused his gaze on the obsidian eyes before him. Sasuke lifted his chin and tilted his head, his parted lips paused only a breath away from Naruto's. The heat exchanged was unmistakable and Naruto's lips were tingling before contact was ever made. The seconds passed slowly, excruciatingly – the intensity of the impending contact growing exponentially. A whimper escaped Naruto and instantly Sasuke descended. The blond became weak in Sasuke's arms, he melted into the pale boy and allowed his mouth to be devoured.

* * *

Sasuke's head rose and fell with the movement of Naruto's chest. The blond was still panting, catching his breath from the heated session that had just concluded. Naruto did not normally submit during intimate exchanges, he was usually too eager or demanding. But something about Sasuke had caused him, allowed him, to be docile. Despite everything that had transpired, Naruto trusted Sasuke and the feeling was mutual.

And so, having been ravished by the dark-haired boy, Naruto was content to lay on the couch and tangle his fingers in the silky locks. The pressure of Sasuke's body on his was comforting and the blond could feel consciousness losing it's grip on him. Just before giving in to sleep he had one last thought that brought a smile to his lips. _Next time, Sasuke is going to be the one left in a panting mess_.


	26. More

**A/N: I split the last chapter up, here is part two - the lemonicious part**

**Warnings: This chapter contains sweet, hot, sticky boyxboy action**

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own it

* * *

**

Naruto slowly opened his eyes to find he was still surrounded by darkness. He furrowed his brow as he tried to remember how he came to be in this position. They had fallen asleep on the couch, Naruto was sure of that, and yet here he laid on a soft mattress; a cool comforter pulled up to his chest and a warm body nestled against his own. He ran his hand down his side, confirming his suspicion that he was indeed naked. Naruto moved his hand down Sasuke's torso, eliciting a shudder in the process. The pale boy was also nude.

The blond could only assume Sasuke had undressed him and put him to bed, though he had no clear recollection of this. He closed his eyes and buried his face in the soft hair just in front of him, inhaling deeply. Naruto wrapped his arm firmly around the pale torso and shifted to press his forehead between Sasuke's shoulder blades.

The sound of Sasuke breathing, the gentle rise and fall of his chest under Naruto's embrace – it brought a comfort to the blond that he had never felt before. As he laid in bed with the raven-haired boy he began to understand what Sakura had meant about superficial encounters – because there was nothing superficial about what he was experiencing in this moment.

He had opened up to Sasuke, allowed himself to be more vulnerable around the pale boy than any other single person in his life. No, it wasn't just that – he had accepted Sasuke into his life with all his faults and painful past. _His faults and past...or mine?_ It really didn't matter. They both had reasons to believe that they may never be able to truly love or be loved; but that couldn't stop them, it couldn't stop _this_.

It was a dangerous thing he was engaged in, definitely not something to be taken lightly. He realized that now, after these last few painful days. But, he supposed, nothing good came easily. Nothing as amazing as the warmth that radiated from Sasuke and penetrated Naruto to his very essence, could come without some effort.

That is what he had lacked in all those previous trysts – effort. Naruto had never really tried, but then again nobody else did either. Something about Sasuke was different, _special_ – and Naruto had recognized that from the very beginning, he just had no idea it would lead them here.

The blond squeezed Sasuke, nuzzling deeper into his back. The pale boy stirred slightly and pulled the arm tighter around him. Sasuke's breathing became faster as sleep slowly lost its grip on him. The raven-haired boy rolled back and Naruto pushed himself up on his elbow. Bleary obsidian eyes focused on the face hovering above, and Sasuke smiled despite himself. He reached up and brushed his fingertips along one scarred cheek before snaking his hand behind Naruto's head. Sasuke pulled gently and the blond obliged the request.

Naruto captured and released Sasuke's lips in repeated soft kisses before ghosting his tongue across the pale pink flesh. There was no need to rush the moment and he savored every sensation; the heat of Sasuke's mouth and the taste of his tongue, the tingling that erupted throughout Naruto's body with the tentative contact. The blond retreated his tongue, allowing Sasuke a chance to roll his own slick muscle against Naruto's lips and invade his mouth.

The tanned boy shifted, lowering on top of Sasuke and slowly he began to rub against the alabaster body. The friction tended to their erections like a drug; it was immediately satisfying but soon left them craving more. The grinding brought moans of pleasure followed by lustful growls.

Sasuke brought his hands around to Naruto's back, gripping tightly as he rocked his hips up. The pale boy sank his nails in and drug them down, wordlessly communicating his growing need. He needed Naruto closer, needed to be filled, needed to look into those azure eyes as pleasure coursed through him.

"Naruto..." the sound of the blond's name as it left Sasuke's mouth was pure desire. God, _that_ is was he needed – to moan his lover's name over and over again.

So he did. It became the mantra to which the pale boy rolled his hips and arched his back. And it was driving the blond mad with lust. Naruto wanted only to bury himself deep into the body below him, but he knew better than to succumb so fast.

Naruto moved his kisses from the pale lips, across Sasuke's cheek, finally bringing them to his tender ear lobe. He panted Sasuke's name as he nipped the flesh, earning a mewl from the raven-haired boy. The blond moaned his response and allowed his hand to travel leisurely down the pale body. His feather light touches caused goosebumps to erupt wherever they went until finally his fingers wrapped around Sasuke's throbbing cock.

Naruto continued to nibble and lick at Sasuke's ear as he stroked the thick flesh. Groans rumbled through the dark-haired boy's chest and he bit down hard on his bottom lip in a desperate attempt to hold them back. Naruto released Sasuke's erection and moved his hand down further, playfully tapping and brushing and tugging along the pale boy's sac and taint until reaching his entrance. The blond pushed a finger against the tight ring of muscle, just enough to apply firm pressure without penetrating, and he smirked at the groan that erupted from the pale boy.

"Do you want me Sasuke?" Naruto spoke low and teasingly into his ear. The raven-haired boy released another wanton moan in response, "what part of me do you want? My fingers?"

Naruto pressed against the tight entrance again, "more," Sasuke groaned.

"My dick?" the blond rubbed himself against the pale boy.

"More."

Naruto pulled his head back and looked quizzically down at Sasuke, whose deep, dark eyes peered up with a rare warmth. The dark-haired boy brought his hand around from Naruto's back and pressed it into his tanned chest, he could feel each hard thump of the the blond's heart. Naruto stared down, breathless for a moment, until a smile began to crawl across his lips.

"So cheesy," the blond laughed lightly.

The pale hand dropped from his chest and Naruto missed it immediately, he almost began apologizing when he realized the hand was now groping around Sasuke's nightstand. Movement stopped and a smirk settled on Sasuke's lips before the hand returned. The pale boy pushed his fist back into the blond's chest with a playful force. Naruto pulled his own hand away from Sasuke's nether regions and took a hold of the fist pressed against him. The raven-haired boy released his grip and let the bottle of lube slide to Naruto.

"I _do_ want your dick," he teased with a husky tone.

Naruto smiled, his eyes lit up like a child that had just been given a puppy. Accept this was no fluffy, innocent animal – this was Sasuke; a gorgeous, powerful and licentious beast with a hunger that could only be filled by Naruto. And the blond was up to the challenge, to show Sasuke just how much he meant to Naruto – with every thrust and moan and drop of sweat. They would rut and fuck and somewhere in between they would make love.

* * *

More. The demand was always for more. The pale boy could never get enough.

_Deeper. Harder. Faster._

More.

_Kiss me. Fuck me. Love me._

More.

And, God help him, Naruto gave him more. Everything he was capable of giving; with every ragged breath and beat of his heart. Sasuke's appetite was insatiable but Naruto wouldn't give up, he persevered. Just when he thought he was spent, the raven-haired boy would cry out his name and Naruto's energy would be renewed.

They spent the entire morning tangled in the sheets. _Fuck going to class,_ their time was better spent fucking each other. Over and over again. What started out tender and gentle quickly spun out of control as bodies slammed together. Naruto pounded into Sasuke and the pale boy held on tightly; all the while screaming and cursing and begging for more.

More.

Jesus he was going to be sore tomorrow, but Sasuke couldn't be bothered to think about anything but this moment and the glorious way Naruto's cock filled him – stretched him, pummeled him and made him whole. How could he have ever considered denying himself this wonderful, pleasureful sensation. Not just the sex, though it was like nothing he had ever experienced. This was more.

More.

This was what it felt like to love and be loved. To be vulnerable and exposed and without fear. To lay with Naruto was not just about the power of their physical contact, it meant sharing something deep and unbridled. This was what people mean when they speak of intimacy; a close contact that penetrates with something intangible. Sasuke had resisted this for so long, and now it seemed he did not want to – could not possibly – live without it.

* * *

**A/N: That could be it, I could end it there but you deserve one last spectacular lemon - I will use the rind to wrap everything up in a citrusy bow.**


	27. Discovery

**A/N: Thank you to all my faithful readers! I hope you enjoyed the story. You have all been so encouraging, I am already working on my next fic. **

**Warnings: This chapter contains pure lemon extract, if you don't want it than consider the story over - because this is pretty much smut.**

**Disclaimer: I own every word I wrote, but none of the characters involved - sort of bittersweet.

* * *

**

So the two boys _made up_, again and again – almost every day, and each time it was a reaffirmation of their unspoken love. As the semester came to a close, school became a rather inconvenient obligation that forced them to focus on something other than each other, but they struggled through it.

At last it was Friday – their last day, and after a grueling chemistry final they returned to Naruto's house to unwind. The blond went straight for the kitchen, he offered to make Sasuke some ramen but the pale boy refused, choosing instead to head for the bedroom. He could hear the beeping of the microwave and smirked as he kicked off his shoes.

"Are you sure you don't want anything..." Naruto spoke as he pushed past his door, but his voice faltered once he entered the room.

Sasuke was lying on Naruto's bed, his lean, naked body stretched out on the mattress. With slender fingers he lightly, teasingly stroked his hard shaft. He turned to face the blond who appeared frozen in the doorway.

Languidly, Sasuke blinked, "I could think of a few things..." his tone was low and filled with intention.

The sound of the pale boy's voice snapped Naruto back and he grinned as he moved forward. He shut the door as he kicked off his shoes, then – while continuing to strip, he approached the bed. Sasuke lifted himself off the mattress and turned to sit as he watched Naruto remove each article of clothing until there was nothing left.

Sasuke leaned forward, grabbing hold of Naruto's hips, and hoisted himself up. He drug his tongue along tanned skin – across abs, over ribs and against a pink nipple. The blond shuddered as Sasuke's tongue flicked against the sensitive nub. The raven-haired boy pulled away and Naruto peered down into obsidian eyes. The dark orbs were speaking to the blond, saying things that Sasuke would never verbalize.

"You want me to fuck you," Naruto stated more than asked as he smirked down at the pale boy.

Though there was no need to answer, Sasuke's eyes clearly responded. _Yes._

"You want me to bury myself balls deep inside you."

_Oh fuck yes._

"Kiss me."

Sasuke's tongue darted out and he moistened his lips as he got up on his knees. With Naruto still standing the raven-haired boy came up a few inches short, but the blond made up the distance. Sasuke pressed his lips to Naruto's with urgency, as if the kiss would grant him access to the hard cock he hungered for. But Naruto took his time, prolonging the inevitable.

The blond quickly dominated the embrace, slowing Sasuke's pace and moving his lips and tongue with the sole purpose of drawing out mewls and moans. Lazily, he slid his tongue into Sasuke's mouth, swirling it about the slick muscle inside. Naruto flicked and rolled his tongue, slowly drawing back – enticing Sasuke to follow. The pale boy was lost in the kiss, temporarily forgetting how badly he wanted Naruto inside him. This moment was bliss, it was simple and sensual. Naruto was so close; Sasuke could taste him, smell him, hear him pant each time the kiss broke before it was taken up again. He could feel the warmth of Naruto's breath and body, it was a heat that filled him in a very different way.

The blond finally pulled away from the embrace, Sasuke followed for a moment before realizing that Naruto was not going to return. He opened his eyes to see sapphire orbs staring back at him, a desirous gleam present.

"Turn," Naruto commanded in a low voice.

Sasuke's eyebrow tweaked slightly at the word and he smirked as he moved on the bed, falling to all fours. The mattress shifted with Naruto's weight as he climbed behind the dark-haired boy. The blond grabbed Sasuke's hips and gently pushed him forward, making more room for himself. He ran his hand down the pale body, gliding his fingertips along Sasuke's spine before his hands came to rest on the pale boy's delicious heart-shaped ass. The raven-haired boy turned his head and watched as Naruto licked his lips. The blond knelt, poised, on the bed behind Sasuke as his hands kneaded the firm flesh.

Tentatively, Naruto leaned in, gently placing kisses along the curve of Sasuke's ass. The raven-haired boy turned away, feeling slightly embarrassed at the treatment. There was a slight tug on either side of his ass as the flesh was parted, Sasuke turned back again to see Naruto's face all but buried between the cheeks. The pale boy flushed uncontrollably and turned away once more. The sight alone was enough to turn Sasuke on, but nothing could compare to the sensation.

Naruto was leisurely lapping at the skin all around Sasuke's entrance. He rolled his tongue down, across the pale boy's taint and plastered it against the flesh as he drug it back up. Hungrily he flicked his tongue at Sasuke's puckered entrance. The dark-haired boy gasped at the wet muscle sliding against him, he released a shaky breath and gripped the sheets tightly in anticipation of Naruto's next move.

Gaining in confidence, the blond pushed further; he stroked the tight ring of muscle with his tongue, wriggling it against the hole before burying his face completely. His pressed his lips against the sensitive skin, and sucked gently. Sasuke bucked rather violently, pushing his ass back further into Naruto's face. The blond only smiled and gripped the pale boy's ass tighter.

The affair unraveled quickly as Naruto rimmed Sasuke without restraint. Sasuke's eyes were squeezed shut with the pleasure of it all, but not being able to see Naruto only made the sounds filling the room more prevalent. It sounded wet and sloppy and _really fucking hot_. The blond pointed his tongue and sank it into the tight heat, Sasuke's moan bordered on a scream, and for a moment he thought he might cum right then. Naruto flicked his tongue from within the tight muscle before he retreated to lick the hole again.

Sasuke was trembling, barely able to support his torso on his arms – his body was so racked with pleasure. He wanted to reach back and grab his aching erection, but feared he might collapse if he tried. He needed release and Naruto's cock and nothing else.

"Naru...to," he groaned, "...fuck."

The blond halted his oral activities, unsure if that was a request or simply a declaration of pleasure – either way it seemed appropriate to move on. He pulled his face back, nipping along Sasuke's ass as he he did so. He wiped the saliva from his face and reached out to the small black lacquered box he kept on his nightstand. Naruto flipped up the lid and withdrew a small bottle of lube, he squeezed a generous amount on his fingers and smeared it around to coat them thoroughly.

Sasuke felt the single digit press into him and he immediately began to rock his hips back. The blond behind him smirked and quickly sank a second finger in. He curved them down and pulled out, raking the tips of his fingers against Sasuke's prostate with precision.

A guttural moan tore through the pale boy, "fuck...Naruto," he panted, "fuck... fuck me."

Sasuke rammed himself down on Naruto's fingers and repeated his demand with a growl. The blond introduced a third finger and quickly pumped in and out, stretching the tight space. Confident that Sasuke was adequately prepared, he removed his fingers and wiped the remaining lube off on his cock. The simple action was inexplicably amplified by his own unwitting neglect, he bit his lip and stroked the aching erection a few more times. He had to force himself to stop, to focus on the matter at hand – which was plunging the thick flesh he was currently fisting, into the sweet depths of Sasuke.

Stabilizing his shaft in one hand and holding onto Sasuke's hip with his other, Naruto gently rubbed himself against the puckered entrance. He made a few small, teasing thrusts and Sasuke growled back at him. The blond smirked and coaxed his hard cock into the tight space, slowly filling the pale boy. Sasuke shuddered and groaned, this moment felt as if it had taken ages to arrive.

Naruto's initial thrusts were shallow as he carved out the space for his throbbing cock. He released a soft grunt as his hips collided with Sasuke's ass, signaling that he was fully seated inside the raven-haired boy. He pulled back and plunged in, a little further each time, until all but the head was drawn out before sinking back into the hot space. The long thrusts were slow and satisfying, but Sasuke growled for more and Naruto obliged with a sudden increase in speed.

The blond slid into the pale boy faster and harder with each passing minute. Naruto slammed his hips against Sasuke, sending the pale body lurching forward with the force. Again and again the raven-haired boy was pounded and once more he feared his arms might give out on him.

Sasuke suddenly perked up, distracted by a sound that was not one of sex – it wasn't the sound of panting moans or wet thrusts, nor was it the slapping of skin against skin. He turned back to look at the blond, who apparently did not notice it. The tanned boy had a firm grip on Sasuke's hips as he continued to ram him, his had his head tossed back and bottom lip clenched tightly between his teeth. No, Naruto was far to lost in his actions to have heard anything.

"Naru...nghh..." Sasuke tried to speak between pants as his body was continuously jostled, "ahh...fuck...door? Did you...hear?"

The blond shook his head violently and settled his thrusts, sinking deep into the tight heat, "dun worry 'bout it."

Still completely enveloped by the tightly muscled walls, Naruto rolled his hips and Sasuke rocked back. The blond was so deep inside Sasuke; penetrating his body and his mind and his soul with each gyration. Naruto leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Sasuke's alabaster torso, pulling him along as the blond sat back on the mattress. Naruto planted a few soft kisses along the pale expanse of back and breathed in deeply, savoring the gentle moment.

Sasuke began to grind down against the tanned boy, expressing his desires – he wanted more friction. Naruto raised himself back up onto his knees and pushed the pale boy forward until he was once again on all fours. The blond did not waste his time with slow or tender thrusts, he pushed himself deep and hard into the tight channel. Sasuke groaned and bucked, slamming back onto Naruto as the tanned boy plunged in. The pace was frantic and uncontrolled as the two boys fucked to fulfill their own needs. Screams and moans filled the room, who said what was lost in the midst of passion.

"Jesus!"

"Fuck!"

"Yes...God, fucking yes!"

Sasuke could feel the heat growing in him and he pushed himself back with increasing force, trying to extract every last bit of pleasure from the thick flesh inside him. In a beautiful moment of greed both boys pulled away and came together with power and precision. Naruto struck Sasuke's prostate hard and an intense ecstasy surged through the pale boy like lightning – electrifying every nerve ending. The next thrust, as powerful as the last, sent Sasuke cascading over the edge of climax. He howled as he came; hot, white streams pulsing out of him.

The intensity of Sasuke's orgasm had him clenching tightly around Naruto, the blond was afraid to move but couldn't stand to be still. Naruto lightly rolled his hips until, gradually, Sasuke loosened around him. With a few more deep thrusts Naruto shuddered and came, a breathy and punctuated moan escaping his lips.

The blond wrapped Sasuke in another tight embrace and, still deep inside the pale boy, rolled him over to clean part of the bed. They laid together for several minutes, bathing in the afterglow of spectacular orgasms. Sasuke's warmth radiated into Naruto's chest, blanketing him in a familiar comfort, until he nearly fell asleep.

Naruto's journey out of consciousness was abruptly interrupted when Sasuke reached back and grabbed his ass. The pale boy turned to look back and smiled contentedly, his dark eyes flicked behind the blond for a brief moment before returning to stare into the half-lidded azure orbs before him. Naruto nodded and rolled over to reach down next to the bed, he grabbed a towel off the floor and carefully wiped off the cum that was slowly leaking down Sasuke's leg.

Both boys cleaned up to their satisfaction and kicked off the soiled comforter from the mattress, they laid on the sheets for a few more minutes before finally gathering up the will to redress and return to the outside world.

* * *

"Hey, how did you know about the door?" Sasuke queried as he zipped up his pants.

"Huh?" Naruto tugged his shirt down over his head.

The pale boy rolled his eyes as he finished buttoning up his shirt, "the door, you said not to worry about it. But you give your key out to every damn stray you come across, how did you know nobody had come in?"

"Oh, yeah," Naruto opened his bedroom door and stepped into the hall, "I flipped the deadbolt when we got home and I'm the only one with a key for that," he continued down the hall and Sasuke followed, "Well me and..."

The blond stopped dead in his tracks, Sasuke crashed into him and cursed under his breath.

"...Jiraiya," Naruto finished his thought as his guardian smiled up at him from a chair in the living room.

The man stood up and casually walked around the couch to close the distance between himself and the befuddled blond. Sasuke had seen plenty of pictures of Jiraiya, but he was still surprised by the man in person – he had a commanding presence that was accentuated by his broad shoulders and tousled white hair, pulled back into a loose ponytail.

"You are looking well Naruto," Jiraiya smiled teasingly and clapped a strong hand on the blond's shoulder.

Naruto grinned nervously and opened his mouth to speak, but before he could make a sound Jiraiya tossed him aside. The older man moved in front the the raven-haired boy and looked him up and down in consideration.

"You must be Sasuke...I have," he smirked slightly and cleared his throat, "..._heard _so much about you."

Naruto felt his cheeks heat up, his expression was that of absolute mortification. But Sasuke did not falter, he blinked languidly and smirked.

"It is nice to finally meet you Jiraiya," the dark-haired boy spoke with confidence, asserting himself before the white-haired man.

Jiraiya's eyes slitted into a more scrutinizing glare, "are you enjoying my son?"

Naruto once again sputtered in embarrassment, but Sasuke only lifted his chin as he replied, "as much as he is enjoying me."

"Do you love him?" the man's tone was serious, almost to the point of menacing.

_Oh God_. Naruto's throat had gone dry and he was now completely incapable of speaking – not that he could think of anything to say. Through all their time together, Naruto and Sasuke had never spoken such words to each other; though it was certainly implied with every touch they shared, the way they spoke to each other and peered into each other's eyes.

"I do."

Naruto's eyes widened at this simple statement. He thought he knew it, thought it didn't need to be said; but hearing it now, he felt his heart might burst.

"Does he love you?" Jiraiya queried further.

"He does," Sasuke spoke so matter of factly.

Onyx eyes flitted over to Naruto for only a moment, they were warm and knowing. They reassured Naruto that every word Sasuke spoke were infallible truths. The blond finally found the will to move, he stepped over to the pale boy and took Sasuke's hand in his own. Their fingers interlaced out of habit and they stood shoulder to shoulder, facing the white-haired man.

There was a long, drawn out silence that was threatening to become oppressive when finally, Jiraiya spoke, "excellent," he grinned widely, "now Naruto...this is important so I want you to really think about your answer," he paused dramatically, "where is there a good titty bar?"

* * *

**A/N: XD The end! I truly, truly hope you liked this fic. It has been my baby for months now and I feel a little verklempt in letting it go. But I have more in the works, this will not be the last you hear from me!**


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